Connected
by Lummy1507
Summary: Autobiography of Lily after the terrors of her parents' lives-surrounded by loving family and the most unlikely friends and alliances, watch what happens through the years... Currently on hold. Working on a Dramione. XD
1. Here it goes!

**AN: Hey people! This is my FIRST ever fanfiction, so help me out, alright? I want plenty of reviews, even if it isn't all praise! And the plot will be revealed slowly, so stick with it yeah? Thanks!!**

**Chapter One**

(Lily Potter)

I was ecstatic; the excitement had my head spinning. I remembered how I had laughed at my brothers, Jamie and Al, respectively, when it had been their first years at Hogwarts and they had run head-first at the barrier from nerves, while I had leant causally against it, clutching Mum's hand tightly in mine, and gently slid through. However, this time, the art of being inconspicuous flew out of my mind, and thrill took over as I charged, with my trolley, loaded with my new trunk and pretty snowy owl, Ginger, stuffed in a cage. Ironic, I know, naming my beautiful, pure white owl Ginger, but I'd named it after my favourite Muggle cartoon character!

I think the run helped release some of my anxiety, because as soon as I'd crossed over and opened my eyes, I felt a brand new, equally strong sense of adventure replace the worries- the Hogwarts Express! Oh, I'd been seeing it since I was three years old, when I'd come to drop Teddy in his First Year; and every year since, I'd taken to memorizing the features of this gigantic train…it had loomed over me, huge! But today, it seemed totally new to my eyes- sleek and shiny, its smooth body red and black, the bold, shining letters in front spelling "THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS", with smoke billowing in copious amounts from the chimney, clouding the people present: only the disembodied voices floated away from the witches and wizards, as they said goodbye to their children.

As I walked through the crowd, pushing my trolley in front of me, I reminded myself that it was not only witches and wizards who had come to bid farewell to their children. Mum had told me how Hogwarts had started a new programme to make a minimum of thirty percent of the students admitted each year borne of non-magical parentage. Previously, there had been no such rule as to how many "Muggle-borns" had to be allowed in, but ever since the last Great War, when Dad had defeated Voldemort, the number of wizards in Britain had dwindled so much that this had become a "necessary precaution to ensure the continuance of the wizarding race in Britain"- at least, that's what Uncle Percy had said when I'd made the mistake of asking. James, Al, Rose, Freddy- they all had plenty of Muggle-born friends; just as I pondered over how many friends I'd have, and how I would get along with them, a hand clutched at my shoulder.

'Lily! What took you so long?' asked a worried voice. I looked up to see Jamie and Al staring down at me in concern.

'What?' I furrowed my brow in confusion.

'What took you so long to cross over?' asked Jamie this time.

'I didn't take long…what d'you mean?' I was utterly lost.

'Okay, then where were you all this time? The train is just about to leave! Dad's been going nuts trying to find you!' Al spluttered.

'What? It's eleven alrea-'

'Lily Luna Potter! Where do you think you have been?' Mum's exclamation interrupted mine. I turned to find my red-haired, furious mother standing behind me, with Dad panting at her shoulder. I remembered what Ron (he had refused to be called Uncle, so he was just Ron) had said about Mum becoming more and more like Grandma Molly over the years, and I had to bite down on my lip to refrain from laughing. This irritated Mum further, but Dad came to my rescue.

'Lily, honey, you better get on the train! Hugo's looking for you, he saved you a seat.'

Hugo! Oh my God, I hadn't seen him yet! I bid my parents farewell in a hurry, kissing Dad once on each cheek and giving him a huge hug. I then turned to my disgruntled mother, who had to smile when I hugged and kissed her goodbye.

'Take good care of your sister,' Dad said to Al and James, patting my head and messing up my perfectly tied hair in the process. I frowned at him, and attempted to fix it.

Mum laughed at me and helped me to retie it. 'Do you really think they'll _need_ to take care of her? Lily's my daughter; she'll be the one looking after her brothers, won't you, Lils?' she asked me.

I flashed the very grin I'd inherited from her right back at Mum, and then turned to Dad. 'Dad, puh-lease…you think these two fools can ever keep track of me? Once I'm at school…I'm going my own way. Sure, I'll check in on them once in a while, but…' I smiled cheekily at my brothers this time. A loud hoot echoed from the train; it was about to leave! We hurried though the door left open by my cousins, the Weasleys, and Mum shut the door behind us. Victoire, Dominique, Alex, Fred, Rose and Hugo were hanging out the windows, waving goodbye to their parents. James, Albus and I joined them and found that Bill, George, and Ron and Aunties Fleur, Angelina and Mione had joined our parents to wave goodbye to us. Uncle Percy was undoubtedly somewhere near the Prefect carriage, waving goodbye to Tracy, his daughter, who had just started the fifth year and had been named a Prefect.

'Typical,' Ron had muttered under his breath, when Tracy and Uncle Percy had appeared in the kitchen of the Burrow yesterday halfway through lunch, portentous from pride, to announce this. Apparently Uncle Percy had been quite the perfect Prefect when he was younger; somehow, this did not surprise me at all. For one thing, Percy was the only one who demanded that we call him "Uncle".

As I waved to my parents, I heard Mum yelling to write to her whenever we got time, but her precise words were whipped away by the wind as the train began to pick up speed; it turned a corner. My parents disappeared from view.

I turned to see all my older cousins taking their seats in the compartment: Victoire and Dominique, who were Auntie Fleur in miniature, with their slender bodies and sheets of shiny, silver-blond hair; Alex, with his ruddy hair and freckles; Freddy, a miniature Uncle George; or, as Grandma Molly said whenever she got all teary-eyed, "He's just like his Uncle Freddie!" Honestly speaking, I saw no difference between the two, but I could tell why it was a cause for sadness as well as joy for Grandma. I could never know when she was crying from happiness, or when she was sobbing from sorrow. Then there were James and Al, with their messy black heads perched on top of their tall figures; and finally, there was Rose, with her straight brown hair and piercing blue eyes.

Hugo and I smiled at each other. After all our years of watching the others leave, and spending our lonely days at home dreaming of what Hogwarts must be like, we were off! We were with those who had abandoned us before now, and we were on our way to Hogwarts!


	2. Hogwarts FINALLY!

**A/N: Well, here's chapter two! Read and enjoy, and DEFINITELY review!!! Constructive criticism always helps!!**

**Disclaimer: I WISH I owned Harry Potter and all its characters, especially a certain…*ahem* blonde Slytherin with grey eyes…but its just a dream…*sighs***

**Chapter Two**

(Lily Potter)

Our train-ride was quite unremarkable: there were no great incidents; there were no fights with the Slytherins, who were the enemies of all Gryffindors; there were no teachers inviting us to lunch, as Slughorn had asked Mum and Dad and Uncle Neville once; no Prefects had come to bully us, apart from Tracy, of course, who had entered our compartment once, flaunting the shining badge on her chest, but she had left hurriedly, in quite a huff, after she had had enough of Freddie and Alex's taunts. Of course, any Prefect who would have entered our compartment would leave as soon as they could escape, because Victoire was the Head Girl this year. It was amazing how she was so cool, yet smart and so pretty, while Tracy, undoubtedly on her way to Head Girlship in a few years' time was such a fussy, bossy know-it-all.

Secretly, Victoire had been my idol for years; I had looked up to her since I was about four years old, and I had always wished I has her silvery hair instead of my bright red, her smooth, glowing face instead of my freckles. Dominique was next in line, since she was just like her sister in both looks as well as style and poise.

Despite how unremarkable it was, Hugo and I were loving it: it was our FIRST ride on the Hogwarts Express, for crying out loud! We were cherishing every moment of it. We just sat and watched as our family entertained us: Fred and Alex were playing Exploding Snap, with Al, Dominique and Victoire watching. Rosie was reading a book, as always, and kept shooting menacing glances at those cheering on Fred and Alex. James, of course, had disappeared as soon as he'd finished saying hi to everyone on the train. He was very popular, and had so many friends that they were sure to follow him wherever he went and this compartment surely didn't have space for so many people.

Hugo and I were the youngest members of the Weasley clan; Jamie, Al and I were technically Potters, but we were considered an integral part of the Weasley clan, because Auntie Mione and Dad had been named honorary Weasleys. Besides, Mum was a Weasley, the seventh child of the Weasleys in seven generations. But as the two youngest ones, we had a lot to live up to, but our parents never let us feel it. I knew that I had to get into Gryffindor, not because of family pressure, but because I, myself, would not be at peace if I were in another house. I knew Hugo felt the same way; he was scared because he may have a chance of being placed into Ravenclaw. As soon as he voiced his worries out loud on the train, everyone forgot about what they were doing and started talking about their individual experiences when they were being sorted and how they had felt.

'You know, the Hat does talk a lot and it-'

'When I was being sorted, my feet were-'

'Did you know, Lily, that when-'

'Hugo, did you hear that-'

Hugo and I were trying to listen to everyone at once, to no avail. They were all equally loud, and all equally good at story-telling, and the two of us were eager listeners, since we were nervous and searching for tips to help us. In the end, Rosie pulled out her wand and issued a rather loud, echoing bang from it to make everyone in the room keep quiet. The silence was just as echoing as the din before it had been. Everyone was staring at Rose's wand; altogether, we burst out laughing…this was the best part of my family: we would laugh about absolutely nothing, and we would have fun about everything.

Finally, when the hysteria had died down, Hugo's worries returned. 'Guys, seriously, I mean, I don't want to be in Ravenclaw. But I think I might be, 'cos Dad says I'm really smart. But I know Dad'll be really disappointed if I get into any house but Gryffindor,' he said. At this, everyone started talking again, trying to convince him that it wouldn't make a difference to Ron, and everyone fell silent half-way through their sentences, trying to give the others a chance to speak. Hugo took advantage of the hush to continue. 'And besides, I don't want to be separated from you guys! Imagine what it would be like during a Quidditch match.'

This time, only Fred spoke up. 'Hugo, you really think you're smarter than Rosie? I mean, Rose's really smart, and so's Auntie Mione, and they were both put in Gryffindor. You think you're smarter than those two?' Hugo shook his head timidly. Fred continued, 'So you see, you have no reason to worry!'

'You know…' started Al, but then he suddenly shook his head and fell silent. Immediately, there was uproar as everyone began persuading him to continue. Al was always a bit on the nervous side, and gave in. 'You know, I was always worried I'd be put in Slytherin, but then Dad got rid of my worries. He told me that he had been really scared he's be in Slytherin as well, and apparently the Sorting Hat had wanted to put him in Slytherin, and -' There was a collective gasp, and a shudder from Fred and Alex; Dominique and Victoire crinkled their noses in unison; Rose and Hugo were absolutely still, listening. I didn't need to listen to know what Al was going to say, but I didn't know why he was telling this story. I mean, Dad had told us the story to help us, but he had told us not to tell anybody else! I couldn't believe that Al was sprouting these sacred secrets, but I didn't know how to communicate with him without the compartment full of people seeing me. So I sat tight, not really listening, while he continued his tale. As it ended, I watched everyone exchange wondrous expressions and Al winked at me. I did not return his smile.

Hugo, however, turned to me and asked, 'Why didn't you ever tell me this story? It would've helped me so much! Didn't you know?'

'No!' I said. 'Of course I knew!'

'Then why didn't you tell me?'

I cast a withering look at Al, whose smile faded away as he understood why I'd been so disapproving and he answered for me, 'Because we aren't supposed to tell anyone that story. Dad had made us promise.' Hugo's mouth fell open in a comical "O" of surprise, but he quickly recovered, and the topic changed to Quidditch tournaments and this year's season.

As the light outside the window began to fade, we changed into our school robes and prepared to leave the train. As the train came to a steady stop at Hogsmeade Station, Hugo and I hopped off the train, and followed the loud, gruff voice of Hagrid to meet him, with a group of students surrounding him. He smiled at Hugo and me and, after a quick head-count, ordered us to climb into the boats. Hugo and I were joined in our boat by a girl and a boy, both with sleek blond hair and pale faces- they seemed to be related, possibly twins. But we didn't have a chance to talk as the boats suddenly turned around a cliff and we caught our first sight of Hogwarts. It was breath-taking, even better than the others had described, with the tall towers and the tiny specks of light which each showed the rooms inside. I tried to count the lights, but it was impossible: there were too many! With a slight bump, our boats reached the other bank, and we all trooped across the lawn to the front door. A tall, black-haired man opened the door as soon as Hagrid knocked and let us all in. I knew this man too: he was Uncle Neville! He ushered us in to a little room of the Great Hall and gave us a little speech.

'Welcome, young witches and wizards, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! My name is Professor Longbottom, and I will be teaching you Herbology. I am also the Head of the House of Gryffindor, where I am sure some of you will be joining me.' He gave a warm smile. I thought I heard someone sneer behind me, but I couldn't turn to see who it was, because Professor continued. 'Now, while you are here, you will be awarded points for every good deed you perform, and consequently, points will be deducted at every misdeed. To decide which house you will belong to, sorting will take place shortly in the Great Hall in front of the entire school. So, I suggest you smarten yourselves up, make sure you look good and, most importantly, calm down, because there is nothing to worry about, because you will always belong to one house or the other-there is always one perfectly suited to you. Now, follow me, please, in a single file.' There was a sudden flurry of movement, where everyone tried to move backwards, no one willing to go first.

Despite all my usual poise and confidence, I felt as though my legs had turned to jelly; my insides seemed to be performing gymnastics and turning cartwheels; my heart pumped its way closer and closer to my mouth as I walked carefully into the Great Hall. For a moment, I was entranced by the magnificence of the hall: the millions of candles floating in mid-air, casting a golden glow over the room's inhabitants; the ceiling above, enchanted to copy the night sky outside, knocked the breath out of me by its beauty and precision. But soon, it was the sight of the three-legged stool, and the ragged hat placed on it, that had my breath coming in pants. Behind me, Hugo gripped my shoulder and I turned to meet his panicking eyes with what I hoped was assurance. My eyes were scouring the crowd for my family, but I suddenly felt like I didn't want to look at them. What if I wasn't it Gryffindor? What if I had to walk away from their table and join, for example, the Syltherin's? I shuddered at the very thought. No matter what Mum and Dad said about all houses producing equally good wizards, I didn't think I'd ever be able to accept being a _Slytherin_.

The sorting began. The first Gryffindor was Liam Fletcher and there was uproar from the table. Next came Christine Green followed by Samuel Harrison. Then came a surprise: Alice Longbottom! I didn't know Uncle Neville, sorry, Professor Longbottom, had children our age! She was put in Gryffindor as well, a pink-faced girl with blond curls which fell to her shoulders. I lost track after that, until it came to a slim, white-blonde girl with the name Isabelle Malfoy. Hugo and I exchanged knowing glances at the surname, and, just as we'd suspected, the hat shouted out 'Slytherin!' before we could even blink. Nobody seemed surprised as she was accepted with cheers and applause on to the Slytherin table. People were surprised, however, when another Malfoy, the girl's twin brother, followed. His name was Scorpius, and he was a ditto of his sister, in male, with his sleek platinum-blonde hair and tall build. Likewise, the Hat yelled Slytherin as it barely came in contact with his head. He swaggered off towards the table to join his sister and I exchanged a smirk with Hugo. The smirk was subsequently wiped off my face as Professor called out 'Potter, Lily!' right after 'Peters, Andrew' became a Gryffindor. I tried to keep my self-belief and walked with my chin up, shoulders held straight, proud of my name, and my parents, and my family. I heard cheers already and turned to see half the Gryffindor table, on their feet. I pasted a nervous smile on my face and returned their waves timidly. I sat down on the stool carefully, and placed the Hat on my head, and it gently dropped to cover up till my eyes. I heard its tiny voice inside my head, almost.

'Well, let me see, let me see. Ah, Potter, is it? All of you, brave, very brave. I see you have a certain charm, as well, a certain flair. Great talents, oh yes, and a wonderful mind…and sly, too; you know what's good for you, and what isn't. Loyal friend, yes; but I think the bravery, and the daring in you overcomes all other qualities in you. Yes, but unlike other Gryffindors, I think you'll make your decisions wisely. Think before you leap, and you'll go far. Yes, definitely, GRYFFINDOR!'

Cheers erupted again, as I whipped the hat off with a sigh of relief, placed it on the stool and walked steadily towards my shouting, stamping and clapping family at the table where all members were to become my family at school. I sat down after a million hugs and waited for Hugo to be sorted. Meanwhile, another girl, strawberry-blonde, tiny, also joined our table, called Tanya Richards. When Hugo put on the Hat, the first thing the Hat shouted was, 'ANOTHER WEASLEY?!' followed by a cry of 'GRYFFINDOR!' I jumped to my feet accompanied by most of the table, and screamed, welcoming a relieved-looking Hugo to our table.

After the Sorting, Professor McGonagall gave a short speech, welcoming us all to Hogwarts. She then called for the feast, which was fabulous. Only Grandma Molly could cook better than the house-elves of Hogwarts. I was soon full to the brim and had a tough time keeping my eyes open throughout the Headmistress' second speech. I understood that she had dismissed us when Tracy suddenly stood up and started herding us first-years together to take us to the common room. I already knew where it was and was not surprised when we stopped in front of a large woman in a maroon velvet dress with gold trimming. The password Tracy gave was 'Flobberworm' and we passed through the hole behind the portrait into the huge scarlet and gold common room. However, I did not have the energy to actually look at the room, so I bid a hurried goodnight to Hugo and leapt up the stairs of the girls' dormitory, entered through the door with the shining plaque which read "First-Years". It was a semi-circular room with four four-poster beds, with desks and wardrobes attached. My trunk was kept by the bed closest to the window. Ginger sat perched on the window-sill, waiting for me. I went up to her, patted her head and she flew out through the window, which had a beautiful view of the lake. I fell backwards on to my bed, shut my eyes, curled up without undressing and fell asleep without another word.


	3. Lessons and a race

**A/N: Hey people! Sorry for the delay! It's been a busy beginning to the year for me! But I want more encouragement! If you're reading, please, please, pretty please, with a cherry on top…REVIEW!**

**I WISH I owned Harry Potter. *sighs* Just a dream…**

**Chapter Three**

(Lily Potter)

I woke up the next day when a large, fluffy white object came in contact with my face.

'OI!' yelled a rather high-pitched voice. 'Get up now, or you'll be late for breakfast!'

I sat up straight in bed, rubbing my eyes with my fists, and ripped open the deep red hangings to see the tiny strawberry-blonde I had watched being sorted yesterday pulling on her school robes.

'Christine Green, muggle-born,' she said, extending a petite hand through the hangings. I held it, gently, scared I would break it. 'You must be Lily Potter.' I looked at her in surprise. 'I read all about your Dad, you see, and I heard about you, and how you have beautiful red hair and freckles, just like your mum and grandma. Her name was Lily too, wasn't it?' I nodded mutely. She laughed as she continued. 'In case you're wondering, no, I'm not a stalker or anything. I'm just a fan of history, and half of our history book is about your dad and his adventures and all, so… don't worry,' she finished. _She talks rather fast_, I thought as I got up. I suddenly realized that I hadn't changed the night before. This saved me a great deal of time, as I hurriedly washed my face and, running a brush through my tangled hair, followed Christine down the stairs. We were joined by another girl who shared our dormitory, with wavy, jet black hair. She introduced herself as Tanya Richards, another muggle-born. I could see that the muggle-born programme sure was working! This girl had rather pointed features, and eyes matching her hair. She didn't seem to be as talkative as Christine, but more reserved. The three of us made our way down to the Great Hall, looking up as we entered at the ceiling, which seemed to be an imitation of the bright blue, cloudless sky outside.

I found Hugo and Alice finishing off breakfast at the Gryffindor table and took a seat beside the girl. She beamed at me and said, 'Lily.'

I returned her smile. 'Alice. Nice to finally meet you!'

Our conversation continued as I helped myself to toast and butter. The post had already arrived, but nothing had come for me; not much of a surprise. Soon, Professor Longbottom came to the table and started handing out timetables. I greeted him with a friendly smile and he returned it, accompanied with a pat on my head. I grumbled and Alice laughed: what was it with these people and ruining my hair?

The timetable showed that I had Transfiguration first period, with Professor Abbott. She, as far as I could remember, was another of Dad's friends, and Alice's mother. In class, Alice, Hugo and I were joined at our table by a boy with sandy hair, who introduced himself as Samuel Harrison. At the table next to us sat Christine and Tanya with Liam and Andrew, two boys from Gryffindor as well. When the blonde Malfoy twins entered, I realized that we were going to have our class with Slytherin. Great. Despite Mum and Dad trying to convince us otherwise, I simply could not get over my aversion towards the evidently arrogant Slytherins.

The twins looked around the class as if they owned it and seated themselves at a table behind us; they were joined by a haughty looking black-haired girl, and another girl with curly dirty-blonde hair. I didn't pay them much attention, but spent all my time before the Professor entered chatting with Samuel, and found out that his mother's name was Parvati, another of Dad's friends. Wow, this place seemed to be filled with them! _No,_ reminded a voice in my head; _it also has your dad's enemies._ I immediately thought of the two Malfoys and their little entourage with loathing.

The class went well, and without incident. The match we were supposed to turn into a pin remained stubbornly wooden, although Hugo's and mine had become rather pointed. Christine's one had turned shiny, but was still blunt. Alice, however, managed to set hers on fire on her first attempt and she had to use her hat to put the fire out. Her mother gave her a disapproving look and replaced it with a wave of her wand. Alice hung her head in shame at the end of the class, and I spent the walk to our next class encouraging her. However, just when Alice seemed to be cheering up a bit, a sneering voice from behind us interrupted me.

'What's the point, Potter? It's enough of a miracle that she has any magical ability in her at all.' I turned sharply to find the female Malfoy speaking. What was her name again? –Ah, yes, Isabelle; what a beautiful name for such a stuck-up snob. She and her brother had identical derisive smirks on their faces. I heard Hugo snarl beside me as Alice let out a sniff. She continued, 'I mean, why bother? What _can_ you really expect of a girl whose father barely passed half his subjects at school, and failed his Potions OWL completely?'

Hugo tried to tug me away, but I stood my ground. 'Her father may not have been the best at potions, but at least he was brave enough to stand up against what he thought was wrong - whereas yours didn't even have the spine to stand up against his madman of a dictator for the sake of his family.' With that, I turned away, and, pulling Hugo and Alice with me, left a stunned silence in my wake.

Before I had turned away, however, I thought I had seen the boy's mouth twitch upwards in something resembling a playful smile. _What was his name again? Something to do with shellfish… Oh yeah, Scorpius._ _Why would anyone in their right minds name their son Scorpius?_ I went back to pondering the reason behind his smirk; I came to the conclusion that I'd just imagined it.

Classes continued: Herbology with Longbottom, Charms with the miniscule Flitwick, Transfiguration with Abbott, Potions with Slughorn, Astronomy with Sinistra and DADA with Smith. On Thursday, a notice went up in all the common rooms that First-Years would be having flying lessons out in the Quidditch pitch at 3:00 pm the following day. This caused a great deal of excitement amongst us straight away and everyone was buzzing about their flying abilities and adventures on broomsticks. Alice was too clumsy, so she had never been let near a broom by her parents; _wisely so,_ I thought. _She had enough trouble walking across a flat, stable plain without tripping over her own feet_. Even the muggle-borns were excited because they'd never flown before and couldn't wait.

I was totally keyed up and ready to go; I loved flying, and it ran in my blood. Both my parents were great fliers, as were my brothers. Some of my cousins were as well, but, sadly, Hugo was not one of them. He was a nervous wreck when it came to broomsticks and barely ever participated when I trained with Victoire, Dominique, Alex, Freddie, James and Al. They were all on the Gryffindor team; the rule which did not allow first-years on the team had been removed, and now I was ready to join their ranks, after an official trial. James played Seeker now, but if I joined up, he would move to Chaser, and I would play Seeker like Dad used to.

My quite literally "flying" spirits were dampened slightly when I walked on to the pitch on Friday to find a huddle of people already there, spotting a pair of blonde heads in the midst of the crowd. So we were flying with the Slytherins: I should've known it wouldn't have been perfect. Oh well, at least they'd know not to mess with me after this. Besides, I'd been hearing so many stories about how good the Malfoys were in the air; now I'd have a chance to see for myself.

Madame Hooch, who was Mum's old teacher's daughter, ordered us to each stand beside a broomstick, and mount it. This was easy enough, and I'd mounted mine within seconds. Liam, however, had somehow managed to split his broomstick in half while trying to mount it, and had accidentally stabbed his own arm with it, so that there was a large and grisly opening in his forearm; he was whimpering, more from fright than pain. Madame Hooch had to accompany him to the hospital wing, and we were left alone. I took this chance to help teach Hugo how to mount his broom. He was having all sorts of problems. The broomstick kept rolling around on the floor instead of leaping into his hand the way it should. I tried it myself, and it worked perfectly well, but it just wouldn't work with Hugo.

'I don't know why you always fight these losing battles, Potter,' sneered an unpleasantly familiar voice from behind me. I whipped around and, sure enough, it was the Malfoy girl, her brother standing at her side, their arms folded identically across their chests. 'I mean, you don't seem to be as dumb as the fools you surround yourself with - why is it you persist with trying to get them to do things their brains obviously lack the capacity to handle?' I ignored them and continued trying to help Hugo. 'You know it's not going to work.'

I spoke without looking at them. 'Mind your own business, why don't you?' I heard the girl's silvery laugh behind me. I turned. 'Why do you even care, anyways? What's it to you?' This had her momentarily stumped. She didn't know what to say. In the brief second that my eyes locked with hers, I thought I saw a sliver of doubt, of confusion there, but our eye contact was broken when her brother stepped out in front of her.

'Well, if you think you're so smart, why don't you have a go?' I recognized his voice to be the drawling one from the Great Hall that I'd heard on my first day here. I looked into his stormy irises and detected a flicker of challenge in them. I was hooked on immediately.

'At what, pray tell,' I could tell he was diverting the topic away from his sister and I let him; his proposition had caught my attention.

'Race. You and me. The hoop and back.' His lips pulled up in a crooked smirk. He strode up to me and took an intimidating stance. 'You up for it?'

I narrowed my eyes, flashed him my most impish grin and mounted my broom. 'Ready when you are. If I win, you mind your own businesses and leave Hugo alone.'

I heard Hugo's voice in the background as Malfoy and I hovered ten feet from the ground, facing each other on our brooms. 'Agreed,' he said. 'But if you lose…' he smirked again, and shivers ran down my spine from anticipation. Hugo's warnings were left unheeded in the background. I was where I belonged, and I was ready.

The black-haired Slytherin let a whistle erupt from her wand, and we were off, leaning almost flat against our broomsticks, making ourselves as aerodynamic as possible, accelerating rapidly. We were neck-and-neck as we reached the hoop; here, we both decelerated momentarily to make the sharp turn around the hoops and began accelerating immediately: this was it. Whoever managed to get home fastest would win. We were level again, he was perhaps a tad ahead. I willed myself to go faster, but my broom couldn't go any quicker. I decided to try something else; the wind was whipping my long red hair around my head like a huge halo. I knew he was watching me through the corner of his eyes, so I looked straight at him, which obviously caught his attention. Our eyes locked, chocolate and silver; I winked, raised my hand and blew him a kiss and turned my head back to look front. We were so close that when I turned, the wind caused my long hair to whip across his face. I accelerated, leaving him behind, stunned by my actions. I touched down on the ground by the blonde Slytherin long before he had even started moving again.

Cheers erupted around me, and I saw Isabelle flush deep red and turn away, disappointed at her brother's failure. Scorpius, however, was surprisingly spirited, and took the loss in his stride. He landed smoothly beside me, dismounted and extended his hand. I scrutinized the proffered hand carefully, finally deciding that there was no trap in it, and taking it lightly, shook it.

'Congratulations, Potter,' he said. I thought he'd genuinely enjoyed the sport. But then he let me down. 'You, at any rate, can manage a broom in the air, even though that pathetic loser you call a cousin obviously can't. But after all, he is a weasel, is he not?' I dropped his hand in disgust and turned away long before I heard him striding away to his sister.

Hugo came to stand beside me. 'What a waste of time and energy!'

I laughed it off. 'No Hugo, he's just a sore loser.' But I was happy: I'd proved my point, and I'd proved myself. They wouldn't be pestering me again any time soon.

**You know the drill. Just press the button, and I'll be encouraged just that ONE bit more to keep going!! Thanks to my beta, Nickers310, for editing and for her unwavering support. =D**


	4. Quidditch, and a Christmas!

**Chapter Four**

(Lily Potter)

Ever since our battle in the air, the Malfoy twins had not picked a fight with me again. If they said anything to Hugo when I wasn't around, he never told me about it, and I never thought to ask. They continued to strut around the school as if they owned the place, surrounded by people, but they never acknowledged our presence, and I saw fit to repay their favour.

Classes went on as the blustery breezes changed to cold whipping winds as Halloween passed. I had been taken on to the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Seeker, and practices were held so often that I hadn't realized how long I'd been at Hogwarts. Dad wrote to me almost everyday, and I knew it was because he missed me at home. Mum was a bit more tactful and hid her feelings: she wrote about once a week. On Halloween Grandma Molly sent a batch of cookies she'd baked in the shape of bats and pumpkins and I laughed at her creativity. Mum was never the homely type, and didn't bother with things like baking; especially in complicated shapes- trying would just confuse her.

On the day of our first match of the season against Hufflepuff, Mum sent me a pair of gorgeous red and gold Seeker's gloves, with my initials, LMP, embossed in gold near the base. With it, she sent a note wishing me the best of luck, but adding that if I was truly Dad and her daughter, I wouldn't need it. I smiled at my mother's confidence, and hoped that I didn't disappoint her.

'Mom sent those, didn't she?' James had arrived for breakfast, alone for once. He sat down next to me and grinned at the gloves. 'She sent me a pair of Chaser's gloves, too, on the day of my first match.' He turned mine over and laughed. 'Mine had JHP embossed on them.' He looked at me and I think it struck him that I was nervous. At any rate, I felt like I would hurl everything I'd eaten on to the pitch before kicking off. 'Nervous, honey?' I nodded shakily. No point in lying. 'How come? You're an amazing flier!' He brought his head closer to mine and whispered conspiratorially, 'You know, I think you're the best flier of us all. You're the youngest, and I know you feel like you have to prove yourself, but you really don't! We all know you're amazing. So you know what?' I finally looked up at him. He smiled, and he really looked like Dad, despite the obvious difference in the colour of his eyes. 'Just have fun, okay? Promise me that you'll have fun?'

I nodded and managed a grin. 'Thanks, James. That helped a lot.'

He winked. 'I'd wish you luck, but I know that you don't need it. Now let's go!'

As soon as I was up in the air, soaring over everyone else, watching for the snitch, all my terror was washed away, replaced by a firm determination to do my best; whenever Gryffindor scored, I let out my joy and did a few loop-the-loops; I yelled in encouragement every time I passed by Victoire near the hoops she was guarding. Alex and Dominique stopped to chat once in a while whenever they were smacking the Bludger away from me. I was fulfilling my promise to James as well: I was having a good time.

I remembered watching Mum's memory in her diary once, where she'd played Quidditch in her Gryffindor robes, hair whipping around her. And ever since, it'd become my dream to play in these robes, with printed across my back. And now it had come true! I was living my dream, I was playing for Gryffindor! But I kept my head in the game; the first time I caught sight of the Snitch hovering at the foot of the Slytherin goalposts, Gryffindor was leading by 30 points. I dived, accelerating rapidly, and I knew the opposing Seeker was hot on my trail; he was gaining on me and I flattened myself against the wood, speeding up. Thompson overtook me and extended his hand out to grab the Snitch, but he fumbled with it and crashed, head-first, into the ground, unable to control his dive. I grabbed the Snitch and turned my broom upwards, hand raised, with the Snitch beating futilely in my fist. The game was over: Gryffindor had won, 190-10!

The celebration which followed in the Gryffindor common room was incredible; Butterbeer, chips, popcorn, cake, cookies, and all sorts of treats were laid out on the tables. People were dancing, cheering, applauding, and singing along to the music playing. The only one I found totally uninterested in the party was Rose, who was sitting in a corner near the fire and reading a book, as always, and casting disapproving looks at the jubilant partiers. I walked up to her.

'Rosie, don't you want something to eat?'

She pasted a totally artificial smile on her face as she looked up at me from her book. 'Oh, no, Lily, I'm fine. I heard you played really well.'

I was surprised. 'You didn't come to watch?'

'No,' she replied. 'I was a bit busy reading. Sorry.' She didn't really look it. 'You know, I should really get back to this, you know. I'll talk to you later.' She got up, patted me on the arm and walked out the portrait hole. I was left stunned in her wake. Victoire walked up to me and, noticing my line of sight, merely chuckled.

'She's one I could never understand.' I looked up at Victoire. Dominique was by her side. She shook her head.

'I don't know how she can be so unsporting,' said Dominique.

'Even _Tracy _came to watch the match,' Victoire said. 'And Rose didn't. I just don't get her.' She shook her head again. 'Oh well. Great flying, Lils, very well done. Come on, let's go get some food into you, you barely had any breakfast!'

And in the noise and laughter of the party, I forgot about my cousin who sat alone in the library, reading.

* * *

As the Christmas break came around, all of us prepared to go home. We'd packed our trunks ahead of time and went down to the snow-carpeted grounds for a snowball fight. We divided into four teams. Again, I noticed that Rose decided to sit out the match, while Tracy was the referee. We had a lot of fun hiding behind our forts, which were large piles of snow, and throwing snowballs at each other. I hit more times than I got hit, but in the end it was a tie between our team and Victoire's. Sopping wet, we all trooped back into the Gryffindor common room to collect our trunks; we went to Professor Longbottom's room to Floo back to the Burrow, where all of us were supposed to stay over during the Christmas break. The journey through the fire dried us so that when we arrived at the Burrow, we were toasted and blackened with soot. Grandma Molly, with her bright red hair now streaked liberally with grey, fussed over us with a brush, dusting us all down before we settled at the kitchen table for lunch.

Once all our parents and aunts and uncles had started earning, they'd decided that it was time to renovate the Burrow. A large plot beside it had been bought and the house had been expanded. The floors above had been rebuilt, rooms and bathrooms had been added here and there, but the original sense of home and cosiness had remained. The kitchen had been expanded and a new, longer wooden table to seat 16 had been added. Sometimes, when it all became too much, they resorted to the old way: they would join tables in the garden and sit there.

After lunch, we took our things upstairs to our allotted rooms and settled down. I was sharing with Rose and Dominique on the top floor, with Albus, James and Hugo in the room beside ours. Victoire, Tracy and Charlie's daughter Simone were sharing a room on the floor below us, with Alex, Fred and Ted together as their neighbours. The two top floors were all to ourselves, with our parents in the floors below, and we had a blast! Christmas was easily the most fun time of the year, because we spent the days either out in the garden having snowball fights, in the orchard playing Quidditch, helping Grandma prepare Christmas dinner or all around the fire, listening to our parents and grandparents telling us stories. None of us, not even Teddy or Victoire, the eldest of our generation, were too old to listen to the stories and we all paid our full attention, because our parents were great storytellers. Either it was that, or the fact that these stories were still so real to them that the emotions that it evoked in them made their storytelling even more realistic.

On Christmas Eve, we all sat around the fire; even our parents were seated on the ground. Only Grandma and Grandpa, with the firelight reflecting off his bald head, were sitting on their stuffy armchairs. We were having our favourite story-telling session, the one which had become a ritual, almost, for Christmas Eve; over steaming mugs of hot chocolate, and in our pyjamas, the grandparents and parents told us the stories of how they had met for the first time, and how each of their friends and families' had reacted to their marriage and so on. Despite listening to the same tales so many times, none of us ever got bored, because each time, a new fact would appear in front of us, or another detail would be added to make tears, either of mirth or sorrow, roll down our cheeks.

Late at night, around 1:30, we all marched up to bed, eyes thick with sleep, but all satisfied at the thought of presents and turkey when we next woke up. I smiled when I walked in on Victoire kissing Teddy goodnight; it always made me smile to see couples like that. They looked so at peace when they were around each other. I walked sleepily up to my room and curled up under my covers and wondered when I would find my prince charming; when I would find the man who would make me feel so at peace with myself. I yawned and closed my eyes…well, if I didn't have him at present, at least I could dream about him for now…

* * *

I was dragged off my bed and carried downstairs by James, who didn't want me to miss the opening of the presents before lunch. It was already 12:30 and I only cracked my eyes open when James put me down on the carpet in front of the Christmas tree. I saw a shining red present in front of me and grabbed hold of it. It was soft and bulky and I ripped open the paper to find a scarlet jumper with a golden Snitch in front. There was also a package of fudge in it, and I knew it was from Grandma, so I got up and hugged her. Everyone else had received similar presents from her, including the adults. I watched with amusement as Ron tore open the present Freddie had gotten him and we laughed when he chucked the socks against the opposite wall with a yell of fright: they were patterned with spiders. I heard Hugo moan beside me; Grandma had given him a maroon jumper again: Hugo hated maroon, but Grandma never seemed to remember that.

I turned to the rest of my presents: Hugo and Rose had given me a large book (typically) about great Quidditch matches in history, with several coloured, moving pictures; Fred had given me a package of Wheezes merchandise; Victoire, Dominique and Alex had given me a pair of slippers in the shape fluffy bunnies which made me giggle; Simone had given me a skirt made of black dragonskin from Romania; Tracy had given me a bottle of ink that changed colour as I wrote; Teddy had given me a pendant in the shape of my initials; Dad gave me a Broomstick Servicing Kit; Alice sent me a pretty silver bracelet; Christine sent me a t-shirt which read, "I get prettier everyday. I can't wait for tomorrow!" Sam sent me an eagle feather quill and Andrew sent me a football jersey for a team called Liverpool which he supported.

But the biggest surprise was when Mum called me aside and handed me a small green package. I plonked myself down on the arm of her chair and tore open the paper. Inside was a beautiful gilded scarlet leather-bound diary; I opened it - the pages were blank.

'That's for you. When I was your age, I had kept a diary myself, and I thought it would be a nice present for you as well.'

'Thanks, Mum!' I hugged her. But she wasn't done!

'There's something else inside,' she said. I removed the diary and saw another one, identical, but older. It had writing inside the top cover. It read, "This diary belongs to Ginevra Molly Weasley" in elegant, curly script. I looked up at Mum in wonder. She smiled again, this time with a twinkle in her eyes. 'I think it's time you got to know your mum a bit better. I went through a lot from your age onwards, and I know you'll never come to me for advice, so I though I'd let you read my diary, so that you can learn from the mistakes I made. Besides,' she winked, 'This holds several tips about boys, so I daresay it'll come in handy. Take care of it, okay, sweetheart? And don't tell the others what this is. They'll get jealous.'

I hugged her again. 'I love you, Mum! This is the best present ever!'

I could feel her smile as she pressed her lips to the red locks falling over my forehead. 'Love you too.'

Then Dad came and lifted me up into the air. I screamed piercingly, but playfully and he brought me down, closer to himself, and held me tight. 'So, what's that, huh? What secrets are you and your mother sharing, hmm?'

Mum and I giggled in unison. 'I can't tell you,' I whispered.

'Oh,' Dad sighed. 'I know what this is about. How come she gets to read it, and I don't?' Dad demanded of Mum. I didn't wait to watch the outcome of their conversation. I loaded my arms with my presents and hauled them up to my room and dumped them into the trunk. I pulled on my

jumper over my striped pyjamas, stuffed my feet into the bunny slippers and ran down the stairs to sit at the table for a huge and delicious Christmas lunch. As tradition dictated, we had breakfasted on Grandma's fudge while opening the presents and now we demolished three entire turkeys for lunch.

The day continued in laughter and fun, as did the rest of the vacation. Soon, it was the last evening before we had to return to Hogwarts and we were again bidding our farewells with stories from the adults, this time about their first days at Hogwarts, again over steaming mugs of hot chocolate. This time, however, we had to get to bed early, so that we could get up early the next morning and Floo back to Hogwarts with our owls and trunks in tow.

**Yeah, sorry for the late updates. Been busy with a wedding in the family! But in this chapter, I mainly wanted to underline Lilly's relationship with everyone in her family; there's going to be plenty more of James later as well. And if you're thinking about Rose being such a b****, well, yeah, there's a reason for that as well. So, now all you have to do is REVIEW!**


	5. Memories, and something rather curious

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yep, it's longer than usual, but I had a lot to fit in and make it seem realistic as well. Read, read, read and REVIEW! Promise you'll be hooked by the last bit. ;P**

**Chapter Five**

(Lily Potter)

Classes after the winter break seemed to continue at an abnormally accelerated pace. It was impossible to tell when the time had flown by and it was February- Valentine's Day. It was a day all girls looked forward to, and all boys were afraid of. Christine, Alice, Tanya and I had decided to dress up a bit for the occasion; Christine, Tanya and I had curled our hair into ringlets to frame our face, while Alice straightened her curly hair to fall down her back to her waist. We giggled at the transformation; in fact, we were rather giggly all day long. Sadly, no one under Third Year were allowed to the Valentine's Ball, so we spent the evening in the common room, cursing the boys for not even noticing the changes in our appearance. Sure, Hugo had asked about my vivid curls, but that was out of shock, and he was my brother, he didn't count. I watched Victoire and Dominique glide down to the Ball in identical silver dresses, looking stunning. I knew for a fact that they had each received seventeen Valentines and had been followed around all day by hanging jaws and popping eyeballs, and weirdly enough, not only from the male population. I shuddered at the thought and bid it away from my mind.

The girls and I marvelled at that, because we had not even received one, let alone seventeen. Even Alex and Freddie had dates! James – I took for granted: he had girls lining up to go with him; seems like he carried on the legacy of my "beloved" grandfather. Oh well, I thought. We had time. We were only eleven.

And then it was suddenly Easter, and time for our next match, this time against Hufflepuff. We weren't unduly worried about it, and it seemed to take care of itself. The day was chilly, but bright and it seemed that Gryffindor could do nothing wrong; again and again they scored, again and again Victoire smacked the quaffle away from our goal. The score was 110-20 when I finally caught the Snitch and ended the game 260-20. We were overjoyed; not only had we won the match and given ourselves a huge chance of winning the season's Quidditch Cup, but we had also taken the lead in the House standings. The din in the common room was unbelievable: the whole room seemed to be throbbing from the noise.

But this was the last time the common room was so noisy for quite a while- the exams were approaching and everyone was studying hard- well, almost everyone. James was still as loud as ever, cracking joke after joke and playing Exploding Snap with Alex, who also seemed to require no study at all. Hugo had managed to draw up a colour-coded timetable for revision and was following it rigidly; I rolled my eyes at him. Mum's diary said that Auntie Mione had had a similar habit. Apparently she still had a colour-coded routine plastered on her office desk.

I felt rather confident, though, that I'd learnt well during the year and didn't need as much revision. I spent some time every evening, while Hugo was studying, reading Mum's diary. I loved it- Mum was so amazing! I winced as I read through the stories of her first year at Hogwarts, when she'd been possessed by Voldemort. The stories frightened me, and I immediately began scanning my mind for any blank periods when I couldn't remember anything. Thankfully, none were found.

I was also amused by the Valentine Mum sent Dad…"green pickled toad"…I laughed myself silly at that. At least I was a better poet that Mum, but I had no one to send it to. I marvelled at how Mum seemed to have feelings for Dad ever since she was so young. Was it love, at such an early age? Or was it just a schoolgirl crush, which had developed into something much deeper as she matured? I knew I'd find the answers as I read on, but my time was getting more and more constricted as the exams approached and my revision demanded my undivided attention.

The exams went very well for me, and I was positive that I'd do well, despite having to sit next to the Malfoy twins in each and every exam. They kept shooting me uncannily similar scathing looks, which could be rather distracting, but didn't bother me unduly. I'd finish the exams well ahead of time and would have nothing to do; I would look around and observe the other students working- it was surprisingly entertaining, and I had to repress laughter a lot of the time. Alice was always shaky and forever forgetting crucial facts halfway through the exams. Andrew sat in front of me and had his head bent, scribbling until the very last possible second. Only God knew what he wrote… Hugo was too far behind me to watch, but I could imagine him writing fervently, hoping and praying and calculating that he had enough time to finish and revise at least three times. I'd snort every time I thought of that, earning a disgusted look from everyone in the vicinity.

The twins, I found, were not identical when it came to the exams. The boy, Scorpius, was a lot more confident, and always finished around the same time I did; we would have a very tough time trying not to catch each others' eyes every few minutes. The girl, Isabelle, however, was nowhere near as fast or secure as her brother and took ages to finish each exam and re-read her paper at least twice. I laughed whenever I observed this, because it reminded me oddly of Hugo.

After submitting the last paper, which was DADA, we all cheered and applauded and stamped our feet; I did a little victory jig and laughter erupted around me- they were over! Now we had one week free before the results, during which time the last Quidditch match of the season would take place. This was the big one- against Slytherin. This would also decide who would win the House Cup- the corridors, classrooms and halls were almost exploding with excitement… We were training harder than ever, getting together at the pitch in pairs or threesomes to practice whenever we got a chance.

The day of the match dawned bright and clear; the anticipation in the air was almost tangible. The entire Gryffindor team ate very little for breakfast and trooped to the dressing room in a single file. We changed together and awaited our routine pep talk from the Captain, but Victoire just gave us all a grim look that conveyed the message-_ either we win, or we die, so get your act together! No screwing up this time!_

I was inspecting the sky when I heard a throat clear in front of me. My eyes wandered downwards locking with a pair of grey ones. Scorpius-of course; he was the Seeker for Slytherin. Well, I'd beaten him once; maybe I could beat him again.

'Well, I hope I won't be the victim of some wild plot for personal vengeance today,' A I muttered so only he could hear and flashed my cheeky grin at him as we shook hands, keeping minimal contact. On the first whistle, I dropped his hand and mounted my broom; the second whistle sounded and I kicked off hard from the ground and soared well above the others, Malfoy level with me on the opposite side of the pitch

The game proceeded much smoother than any of us had expected. The Slytherins posed a tougher challenge than either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, but we had the support of three Houses behind us. Only Slytherin booed us when we scored. They even started up rounds of the old favourite, "Weasley is our King", altering the lyrics and gender according to who the taunts were pointed at. After all, there were four Weasleys on the team. In the end, though, it was the Gryffindors who were grinning, singing, stamping, screaming and applauding. The score was 90-70 to Slytherin when I caught sight of the Snitch glinting by the foot of the Gryffindor goal. I set off, Malfoy right beside me. Again, we were racing, neck-and-neck, towards the very goalposts we had looped around last time. This time, it was our target. We overtook each other, accelerated, bumped the other out of the way; I was sure he would reach it before me, because of his longer reach. The credit of our victory should go to Alex, who sent a heavy Bludger straight at Scorpius' left arm as he stretched it out and it hit his elbow, hard, and caused him to roll over on his broom and fall. I wasted no breath in trying to prevent his fall- his team-mates could take care of that. Instead, I extended my arm and closed my fingers over the glossy Snitch and flew upwards again, straight into Victoire's joyful embrace. We'd done it! We'd won! The Cup was given to Victoire by Professor McGonagall and it was lifted by all of us together. Together, arm-in-arm, surrounded by cheers, applause and singing, the Gryffindor team made its way up to the common room for another night of partying before the results were posted the following day.

The next morning, our results were handed out by Professor Longbottom, and I saw that I'd received "O"-s in all my subjects! I was elated! This year could not have been any more perfect! We were the unbeaten Quidditch champions, the winners of the House Cup and I'd received all "O"-s! I was hopping up and down on the spot from joy when a tiny piece of parchment slid out of the envelope and on to my palm. It read, in an unfamiliar, loopy writing, "_This is just the beginning…grave danger lies ahead, waiting._" I was in shock; I just stared at the slip. I raided through my head, trying to think of someone with that handwriting, but I couldn't think of anyone, not even any of the teachers. Who could it be? And what did it mean? But I didn't get a chance to think. Hugo came bounding up to me, glee on his face.

'What did you get? What did you get?' he asked.

I beamed at him. 'All "O"-s!! So did you, obviously!' he grinned modestly. But then I felt the need to make sure …'Umm, Hugo, did you get anything else?'

Hugo looked surprised. 'What? What else?'

I bit my lip. 'In the envelope. Was there anything else?'

He checked inside it. 'Nope. Why?'

I sighed. 'No, nothing, just making sure I'm not missing anything. Come on, let's go, the boats will leave without us!' We ran off to climb into the only boat which had space left- the one with the Malfoy twins. How did this keep happening? We climbed in and took the seats opposite the twins. For some reason, Isabelle kept her head down, blushing faintly. She seemed unhappy. Scorpius seemed reasonably pleased, though. I didn't bother asking him how he'd done; it didn't seem fitting to be so polite to him. But I noticed a sudden change in his expression as he took a slip of parchment out of his pocket and read it. I started. It was the same type of heavy, yellowing parchment I'd received. I looked more carefully- yes, it was the same shape and size. His brow was furrowed with worry and confusion. He seemed to realize I was watching, because he looked at me and our eyes locked for a long moment. When I looked down again, he had slipped the paper back into his pocket and out boats bumped against the shore.

Aboard the train, in the compartment with all my cousins chattering around me, I was lost in my own thoughts. "_This is just the beginning…grave danger lies ahead, waiting._" I wondered who had sent it to me, what it meant…and why Scorpius had received the same message.

**Do Victoire and Dominique seem too perfect? Well, I sort of want them to be the "epitome of perfection", you know, the awesome older sisters and all, filling in the role that Rose should have played- if she hadn't been such a b****, that is. =P Again, I want to show their family unity.**

**And I hope I've hooked you on with the last note. Not to mention Scorpius' one. =P Who knows what his said?**

**So if you want to know, review, review, review and tell me what you think! Really hope you enjoyed it!**


	6. Something in the air?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, here's Chapter Six…bit fluffy, I know, but it's kinda cute. Next chapter has more development on the actual plot, though.**

**DISCLAIMER: I'm so sick and tired of saying it, but YES, HARRY POTTER BELONGS TO JKR! Ugh.**

**Chapter Six**

(Lily Potter)

I sat back in my seat; the train had just turned round the corner, and I'd lost sight of Mum and Dad. Here we were again, on our way to Hogwarts! But our number had been reduced by one: Victoire had finished her magical education and had joined up at St Mungo's as a Trainee Healer.

We were all a year older, though not all of us were more mature- Alex, Albus, Hugo and Fred were laughing their butts off at some "fart" joke; I rolled my eyes at Dominique, who came and sat next to me. It was just us now…well, there was Rose too, but she was too busy reading. Dear God, I thought, did this girl _never _run out of books to read? Dominique and I started chatting about the new model in Witch Weekly's men's fashion section. We started giggling and I glanced up at Rose to see her reaction to this new distraction: I was not disappointed. She was giving us a rather vicious glare, but I noticed something else in her expression as well- she looked rather- hurt? But why would she be hurt? I looked away when she saw that I'd noticed, and was distracted by the arrival of the lunch trolley.

James popped in and out as the afternoon passed, but sat down when we began discussing the Gryffindor Quidditch team. With Victoire gone, we would need a new Keeper, but there were no new Weasleys or Potters this year to fill in the gaps. This meant that we would have to have a proper trial for Keeper, and this gave rise to distress and excitement in equal measure; I personally thought it would be nice to have some fresh blood (quite literally) on the team, although I did worry about the big shoes he or she'd have to fill.

Darkness slowly engulfed the train and we all changed into our school robes. As the train screeched to a halt at the Station, we hauled our luggage out and headed for the carriages. As Hugo helped me into an empty carriage, a voice behind me called out my name. I turned to find Alice and Sam waving at us. They came over and joined us in our carriage; The ride, as well as the time in the Great hall before the Sorting was spent exchanging summer stories. The Sorting began, and nine kids were placed in Gryffindor. After a brief speech, the Feast materialized and we all dug in. There was another speech from McGonagall after the Feast, but she knew none of us were really paying attention, so she let us go. I trudged up to the portrait hole, a little way behind Tracy, who was leading a herd of first years. I ducked in behind them before the hole could close again and went straight to my dormitory. I was so exhausted that I barely managed to change before I dropped into oblivion.

* * *

The term began in full swing from the very next day and it was a month of Alice, Hugo, Sam and me wheezing from one corner of the castle to the other, trying to reach each of our classes on time. The teachers were making us work harder; or maybe everything had drained from our heads during the summer, because everything we did seemed new and very difficult. We were also receiving huge loads of homework. It was with relief that we flopped down at the Gryffindor table for lunch on the fifth Friday of the term, knowing that we had the afternoon off. I had Quidditch practice later on in the day, but that was good: nothing soothed me more than a good fly in the air.

Christine came and sat down next to me. She was giggling; she giggled a lot, from what I knew of her, and it sometimes got on my nerves. 'Hi,' she said, finally.

'Hi,' I replied, my mouth full of mashed potatoes and peas. I was not in a mood to talk; she, however, was.

'James is your brother.'

I rolled my eyes. 'Thanks Captain Obvious, now may I return to lunch?'

'You never told me he's your brother!'

Okay. This was abnormal. 'Err, Tina? I _thought _you knew, considering we have the same surname and all.'

'Well, yeah, but I thought you were his cousin or something! I mean, you look nothing like him!'

'Well, I don't look like Al either, do I? He's still my brother.'

'He is?' She looked genuinely surprised, but uninterested; but she was too busy watching James shovelling mashed potato into his mouth. I shook my head: for someone so book smart, this girl had little common sense, and absolutely no logic. 'Well,' she continued, 'That's beside the point! My point is,' she blushed slightly, 'James is hot.'

I choked on my peas. Hugo thumped me lightly on my back and offered me pumpkin juice. I could see the goblet quaking in his hand from repressed mirth. 'Excuse me?'

She looked at me pityingly. 'Your brother. James. He's hot.'

'Well, he _is _my brother, I suppose.'

She disregarded this. 'I think I'm gonna go talk to him.'

I choked on my juice this time. Hugo couldn't help himself: he burst out laughing. 'Don't! Ti-' cough '-Na!' Cough 'Don't!' I managed to splutter out, to stop her from getting up. Instead, she turned to me with a quizzical look on her face. I composed myself: I had to be kind, as well as direct. 'Listen, if there's one thing I know about James, it's that he's not serious about girls. He just doesn't care about them. To him, they're just playthings: they come and go. You'll just hurt yourself, Christine.'

She sighed and settled herself. 'I suppose you're right,' she ejaculated tragically. I breathed out in relief; I'd gotten my point across. James and Tina? Good one. I turned my head sideways, expecting to find Hugo still chuckling. Instead, his eyes were distant, watching something far away. I followed his line of sight and realized that he was watching a pair of blonde girls having an animated discussion; I turned to taunt him, but then did a double-take. Hold on, I thought, isn't that the- oh no, no. Impossible. I looked more carefully. But it was.

'Malfoy?' I was incredulous. 'Or is it Gomes?'

'What?' Hugo started. 'Where?'

'Wherever you're looking, of course.' I smirked. 'Which one?'

Hugo tried to act oblivious. 'What d'you mean?'

'Which one do you like? Or, lemme make myself clearer: which one were you staring at?'

Hugo blushed, but didn't reply. Instead he jumped off the bench and trudged off. I cast a longing glance at my chocolate mousse before following him. 'Do you think I'm gonna forget about this?' I punched him playfully on the shoulder. 'I don't think so, so you better spill!'

'Okay, fine.' YES! He was spilling. 'Malfoy.'

I groaned. 'Really?' He nodded fervently. I felt worried. I had to divert his attention before he got hurt. I mean, _Malfoy_? That was rather out of the question. I mean…our parents were enemies. They _hated_ each other. And besides, _we_ hated each other. Or did we? With a jolt, I remembered the note I'd received on the last day of the previous term. The memory was followed by another- the second cryptic message I'd found, waiting on top of Mum's diary last night. '_I warn you again. The time is approaching._' It was the same loopy handwriting, the same anonymity of the sender. I wondered if Scorpius had received the same message. If so, did he know who sent it? Did he know what it meant? How could I found out?

'Hey!' Hugo broke the silence as we settled into armchairs beside Alice near the window in the common room. 'You aren't thinking about…her, are you?'

I blinked at him; for a second, I had no clue what he was talking about. And then I remembered. 'No,' I was being honest. I was thinking about the other Malfoy. 'No, I'm thinking about Tina.' Alice immediately launched into a discussion about that, leaving me free to keep thinking.

During dinner that night I watched the Malfoys. They seemed to be having a rift. Whereas, before, the twins had been inseparable, now they were sitting on opposite ends of the table. Scorpius was talking to Gomes, the dirty-blonde from his year. They seemed to be rather close; in fact, was he holding her hand? Oh well, how did that concern me? I wondered what had caused the gap between the siblings. Was it because she sensed he was hiding something from her? Then had Scorpius not told Isabelle about the notes?

Through the entire week, I observed the male Malfoy. He was always had others around him, generally Gomes, holding her hand. I noticed that it was never his sister, or Zabini, the black-haired girl. But even if I ever caught him alone, what would I say? I could hardly just go up to him and start talking about the notes, could I? Or maybe I could. Maybe that's exactly what I should do, I thought…but I never found him alone! But the fact that he hadn't told his sister reassured me; it justified my decision not to tell anyone, not even Hugo. The only place I truly confided was my diary, the one Mum had gifted me. Meanwhile, I kept reading Mum's diary, now in her Second Year, when she had truly opened up to the world around her after the disaster the previous year. At nights, I would face terrifying dreams where I was chased by tall hooded figures, and Scorpius would appear, but only to watch and laugh, a high-pitched laugh, but never help.

In this way, the days became weeks; the weeks added up into months, as the first match of the season against Ravenclaw came and went as November flew by. Andrew had been chosen as our new Keeper and he performed brilliantly as we won by 50 points against Ravenclaw. After the match, the opposing Seeker, Kevin Corner, approached me amidst our celebrations to congratulate me. It seemed that he had other things in mind as well, because he took my hand in his and kissed it instead of shaking it. I smiled as James and Al lifted me on their shoulders. As they carried me inside, I waved back at him and he laughed.

In the common room, Dominique caught hold of my shoulder, pulled me into a corner, shoved a Butterbeer into my hand and said, 'Talk.' When I just gave her a blank look, she sighed dramatically and explained. 'That Seeker. Corner. What's his deal?' I felt myself blush; she laughed and patted my cheek. 'Lil' Lilly's growing up!' I smiled at her, and she hugged me. 'Down to business,' she said. 'You like him?' I shook my head. 'Oh.' She looked disappointed. 'Well, d'you think he's cute? I thought he is.' I had to think about this one. Kevin was kind of cute- I liked the way his black hair was tousled over his green eyes. I nodded. 'Now we're getting somewhere!' Dominique looked excited. 'Right, you better report all developments to me; I'll try to get a background on this guy.'

'Sure,' I replied. 'Whatever keeps you happy. Hold on,' I added, just as she was about to get up. 'Isn't Cedric's surname Corner?'

Comprehension dawned on Dominique's face. 'CEDRIC!' She yelled all of a sudden, making me jump and spill have my Butterbeer down my robes. Cedric, a well-built sixth-year, came hurrying from a nearby table, a plate of chips in his hand.

'Chips?' he said, thrusting the plate in front of us.

'No thanks,' said Dominique, crinkling her nose in a habitual way. She continued without hesitation. 'Cedric, does Kevin have a crush on Lily?' I stared at her in shock. She was so direct! I could feel my cheeks heating up as Cedric remained silent.

'Yeah, I think he mentioned something like that.'

I looked up I shock. What a brother! I reminded myself never to tell Al or James anything, if this was how easily they spilled.

'What did he say?' I blurted out before I could stop myself.

'Ooh,' chanted Dominique. 'Someone's suddenly interested.' I blushed again. What was with me? I never blushed before! As if she'd read my mind, she said, 'Hormones, my dear. You're growing up, that's all.' Cedric winked at me, grabbed Dominique and pulled her off to get more food, leaving me behind to feel my cheeks with my palms and wonder.

**Unexpected twists? Just wait and watch for more. =P And REVIEW! Otherwise I have no encouragement!**


	7. Someone's watching over me, or US

**A/N: Hey people! Here's the new chapter! I've been really busy with schoolwork and my grandfather just passed away…so pray for him, please! And enjoy this chapter! And don't forget- REVIEW! Oh, and thanks to my new Beta, Zehra, since my old one, Nickers310, is too lazy! And since it's shorter than usual, maybe I'll go for a double update.  
**

**DISCLAIMER: WHY, WHY must you punish me in this way? I already KNOW I don't own Harry Potter!**

**Chapter Seven**

(Lily Potter)

The winter break went exactly the same as last time. All of us were staying at the Burrow. I got a huge pile of presents, including a new charm for the bracelet Alice had given me last time and multi-coloured shoelaces from _Kevin! _ Kevin and I had started talking a lot recently. He'd caught up with me in corridors between classes and walked with me to the greenhouses, where we had Herbology together. I really thought this might be leading somewhere, and I was happy about it. As far as I could tell he was very charming, good-looking, and (the most important) I had Dominique's approval.

My presents included another surprise, although this one was rather unwelcome: another note. In the same handwriting, it read, "_Heed my warnings, and waste no time._" The note frightened me and, after a great deal of deliberation, I decided to talk to Malfoy. If he thought I was a crazy stalker, so be it, but I needed to find out more about this.

So the very day we returned to Hogwarts, I gave Hugo, Alice and Sam the excuse that I had to return a book to the library and set off through the castle alone. I had a vague idea where the Slytherin common room was, but I knew I'd never be able to get in there without my vivid hair and infinite freckles giving away my identity. Instead, I tried the Great Hall, where some people were just wandering around, but there were no vividly blonde heads present there. I made my way to the library. Before I could so much as get past the first row of shelves, a voice behind me called out, 'Lily!' I turned to find Kevin hurrying in my direction.

'Hi,' I said, happy to see him, but disappointed that I would now be prevented from continuing my search.

'Hey,' he replied, holding out his hand. I placed mine in his and he pressed his lips against it, gently, and winked at me. I smiled. 'How were the holidays?'

'You two!' screeched a voice behind us. Oh great. It was the vulture. We groaned in unison and turned to the librarian. 'Keep your voices down! This is a library, not a social gathering!'

'Come on,' whispered Kevin. 'I think its better we leave. Unless you have something to do?' I bit my lip, considering the chances that Malfoy would be in the library, but then shook my head. 'Good. You mind going for a walk?' I shook my head again. As soon as we were outside the library perimeters, we could breathe freely again. He cracked a few jokes, and I laughed.

'Where d'you wanna go? Anywhere in particular?' I shook my head again. I felt him hesitate a bit before he took my hand. I felt butterflies beating their wings in my stomach; he pulled me closer to him as we walked through the corridors. It seemed like we were heading for the Owlery, but I didn't really care. All I cared about right then was the feel of his warm fingers on mine and the fact that we were having a good time together. It felt nice to be here, in his presence, just talking and laughing and joking and flirting…

As we reached the entrance to the Owlery, I heard raised voices coming from inside. One was male, the other female; they seemed oddly familiar. Kevin pushed the door open, and I saw two white-blonde heads inside, facing away from us, yelling at each other at the top of their voices.

'There's nothing I'm telling _her_ that I haven't told you!' yelled the boy, obviously exasperated.

'Fine, you may not have told _her, _but there's definitely something you're hiding from me!' the girl screamed back at him.

'No I'm not! How can I hide anything from you? You know me just as well as I know myself!'

'Which is why I know that there's something you're not telling me!'

'I don't care what you think! I'm hiding nothing from you! And don't bring Selena into this!'

This evidently infuriated Isabelle even more, because she turned to leave the room; she then found us standing at the doorway and stopped short. Scorpius turned to follow his sister, and halted in his tracks, frozen, his expression identical to the one his sister wore. They seemed to realize that they hadn't given anything away and unfroze. Isabelle stormed past us and stomped down the stairs. Scorpius shot the two of us suspicious looks, raised an eyebrow at our linked hands and edged past us and out the room.

A fierce battle raged in my head. _This is your chance!_ Screamed one voice. _Ask him about it now!_ But then another voice roared back, _What about Kevin? What do I tell him? Will he take kindly to be abandoned while I talk to Scorpius?_ The other voice fell momentarily silent. _Exactly, _said the second voice, triumphantly. Again, the first voice fought back, _Well, you have to make a choice, don't you?_

I looked at my hand, tightly gripped by Kevin's; I looked at Scorpius, who was following his sister's path down the stairs. And make a choice I did.

'Malfoy?' I called out. Both the Malfoys turned in surprise. 'Umm, Scorpius?' They continued to stare at me in shock. 'Could I speak to you for a moment? In private, please?' Isabelle snorted and turned away, heading down the stairs again, shaking her head and muttering incoherently. Scorpius scrutinized my face for a few seconds, his eyes finally resting on mine. It felt like the metal orbs were burning a hole through mine, trying to find a reason, but I was sure he didn't find any. Nonetheless, he shrugged and went back into the Owlery.

I turned to Kevin. 'Kevin, could you excuse me for a moment?' He looked thoroughly confused but started climbing down the steps obligingly. I took a deep breath, entered through the doorway and shut it carefully and silently behind me. I took out my wand, pointed it at the door and muttered 'Muffliato.' After taking a deep breath I turned to face Scorpius. I was startled by how close to me he was standing. I shuffled my feet and moved sideways, further away from him, looking down. I glanced up and saw him watching me, a neutral expression on his face; he was waiting for me to start.

'Umm, Malfoy, I know what you're hiding from your sister.' I watched him; he just cocked an eyebrow, neither affirming, nor denying. I continued. 'You got a note with your results at the end of last year.' I said it as a statement, not a question, and I could see astonishment in his eyes; he obviously hadn't expected that I'd be right. 'I got one as well. And I got two more since. Did you?' He nodded slowly. I pulled the notes out of my pocket. He read the first one and nodded again.

'I got the exact same one.' He read the second and third ones and shook his head. He could tell I was surprised, so he took three pieces of parchment out of his pocket and placed them in my palm. The first said the same as mine had said. The second said, "_I warn you again. The time is approaching. Unearth your partner."_ The third read, "_Heed my warnings, and waste no time. She awaits your union._" All three were in the exact same loopy script as mine, except that his was written in dark red ink, while mine was in green.

I looked up at him, grinning. He was a good foot taller than me. 'Do you know who sent us these?'

He seemed surprised that I was smiling. 'No, I haven't the faintest clue. I can't figure out whose handwriting that is. Do you know?'

'No,' I said, 'but whoever it is, is keeping a close watch on both of us. He or she knew that I knew that you'd received the same note as me, but that you didn't know that I'd gotten the same message.' This time a smirk spread across his face. We both turned to look out the huge open window of the Owlery, and watched the sun setting outside. I knew that, at that moment, we were thinking the same thing, and it reassured us: someone out there was watching over us.

Together, we left the Owlery. I was happy to find that there was nobody around. We set off together, heading towards the Great Hall: it was surely time for dinner already. As we reached the marble staircase, we silently moved away from each other; I trailed behind while he hurried down the stairs. I watched his tall figure until he'd turned around the corner of the staircase and disappeared from view.

Okay, so there was something going on between him and Gomes. I don't know why that even surprised me: it wasn't like they were hiding it. I was very grateful that he hadn't asked me about how I knew he'd gotten the notes; he was smart, maybe he'd figured it out. Or maybe he just didn't want me to question him about the fight I'd overheard. Well, either way, I may not have received many answers, but at least I knew there was someone in it with me. The thought made me smile, and I walked slowly down the marble steps to dinner.

**Like it? Yes? No? Well, TELL me, please! I'm not getting as many reviews as I'd like! It's a simple process, honestly! Just press the button!**


	8. Something desired, the other unexpected

**A/N: A double update it is- this is a slightly humorous chapter- I thought it was cute, with a very unexpected twist. READ AND REVIEW!**

**DISCLAIMER: NO, I don't own Harry Potter, so stop bugging me! God!**

**Chapter Eight**

(Lily Potter)

The February winds blew just as cold as before as Valentine's Day arrived at Hogwarts once again. We girls had no special plans, and very little expectation after last year's disappointment. I woke up that morning after a nightmare and rolled over, wondering if Kevin would finally ask me out today, even after I'd ditched him at the Owlery that day. I hadn't come up with an excuse for that yet, because I hadn't had to; every time he spoke to me, he acted like nothing had even happened. This was fine with me.

I realized with a sudden pang that I hadn't spoken to Scorpius after that day either. He didn't acknowledge me when we passed in the corridors or when I entered a class where he was present. I knew I shouldn't've been surprised, but I'd expected that, after what we'd shared, he'd be a little politer. Oh well, I sighed as I got out of bed; at least I know there's someone watching over his rudeness.

Halfway through breakfast, Kevin came over. 'Happy Valentine's Day,' he said, grinning.

'Same to you,' I replied, smiling back at him. He sat down next to me, a seat that Christine had deliberately left empty.

'So,' he said; I looked up from my toast. 'I was wondering,' he paused, watching my reaction. I kept my expression frozen, unfazed, smiling. He took a deep breath and continued, 'wondering if you'd be my Valentine?'

I decided not to frighten him by pretending to think about it. 'Yes,' I replied. He sighed in relief and smiled. 'Were you worried that I'd say no?' I asked, amused. I was done with breakfast and got up. He rose with me and we walked across the Hall.

He nodded fervently. 'Very.'

I laughed. 'Silly boy. Now you,' I kissed him on the cheek; his eyes bulged. 'Better get yourself to class. I'll see you later, okay?'

He smiled and hurried off with a 'Bye, Lily!' I glanced sideways at the Slytherin table out of habit; for once, Scorpius was watching me. He nodded when our eyes met and mouthed "Happy Valentine's Day." I acted surprised: I looked around me to make sure he wasn't speaking to anyone else and then pointed at myself; I caught sight of Gomes' hand in his and cocked my eyebrow; he smirked at my impression of him and I stalked out of the Hall and off to Transfiguration, wondering if he'd somehow heard what I'd been thinking this morning, and if that's what had prompted the sudden change in behaviour.

The day passed pretty quickly. We had the afternoon off for the occasion. I spent it by the lake with Kevin, who'd been spending every spare second with me. I liked him a lot, but this dog-like devotion already had me a tad bored; he was still charming, but the continuous compliments were really beginning to get irritating. We sat discussing Quidditch, which was fun, but I was rather pleased when Hugo came hurrying to me.

'Lily! I have to talk to you, alone, pronto!' he exclaimed, panting. He looked frightened, shocked and happy, all at the same time.

I jumped up, concerned; Hugo never expressed so much emotion, and certainly not all at the same time. 'What is it?' I could hear Kevin grumbling on the ground behind me. I turned, addressing Kevin. 'I'm so sorry, Kevin, just a moment.'

'More than a moment! I'm sorry, Kevin, but I'm stealing her away from you for now. Stop by later, yeah? Good.' Hugo didn't pause for a reply and pulled me off.

This was not typical Hugo behaviour; I was getting really worried. 'Not that I'm complaining, but why did you just interrupt my date?' I inquired.

'Because I just sent Malfoy a Valentine.'

'What? You're…you're- gay?' I was in shock.

'No, you dimwit! I sent it to Isabelle! The _girl_ twin!'

Oh, thank the Lord- he isn't gay.

Then it hit me.

Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. 'You did what? Please, Hugo, please tell me you didn't sign your name.' Hugo looked down at his feet, blushing furiously. Oh great. Perfect. He'd signed his name. 'Well, there's not much I can do now, is there? At most, we can hope she doesn't know who Hugo Weas-'

My mouth clamped shut in horror. Malfoy and Malfoy– both of them- had just appeared behind Hugo and were striding straight towards us. I grabbed hold of Hugo's shoulders and twisted him to face the twins. I decided it would be too cowardly of a Gryffindor to abandon her friend in a time of grave danger; besides that would mean returning to Kevin. So I went and stood next to Hugo, preparing to catch his fall. With each step they took, I felt Hugo quaking more and more forcefully and I held his arm to steady him. Some Gryffindor he was! They were mere feet away… here we go, I thought.

I watched, anxious, as Isabelle walked right up to Hugo and raised her hand. Oh spectacular, I thought: she's going to slap him. Instead, I was suddenly faced with an image of Isabelle's lips on Hugo's, her hand gripping his curly red hair. It was dizzying; I thought I felt my legs give away below me and a pair of strong arms caught me and held me up. The image in front of me didn't register with the thoughts in my mind. They didn't match. The arms holding me up- they were as white as snow. I looked up into a pair of grey eyes and saw my utter confusion reflected in them. Neither the eyes nor I could process the events we were witnessing. How could Hugo and Isabelle be kissing? A Gryffindor and a Slytherin? A _Weasley_ and a _Malfoy_? It made no sense. But it was happening. And it wasn't ending; they just kept kissing and kissing, we just kept watching and watching…

Finally they broke apart. The first words that came out of Isabelle's lips were 'Hugo…I thought you'd never ask.'

'I was waiting for the perfect occasion,' replied Hugo, as if he were accustomed to making out with Slytherins, as if he'd made a habit of it.

Scorpius and I just stared at one another in shock. The couple turned to us, surprised to find Scorpius holding me up. 'Oh, are you two getting together as well?' asked Isabelle. 'That would be amazing wouldn't it, Hugo?' Hugo nodded, mesmerized by her.

I wrenched out of Malfoy's hold as if shocked. 'Us? Getting together? I don't think so.' I shuddered.

Malfoy was jerked out of his trance as well. 'I don't think either of us were aware of you two getting together either,' he said, icily.

Isabelle giggled. 'Trust me, you two were the first we told.' To my mind, her words were false; we weren't "told" anything: we'd seen all we had to, and much more than we'd wanted to. Scorpius and I exchanged incredulous glances; I knew he was thinking the same as me. We stormed away at the same time, him down towards the dungeons and I up the marble staircase, leaving the stunned couple in our wake.

* * *

'Lily,' James said. He and Albus came to sit down in the couch in front of me with purposeful expressions on their faces. 'Don't you think its time you forgave Hugo? I mean, it's been over a month.'

It had. It was the party after our Easter match against Hufflepuff, where we'd won 310-30. I hadn't spoken to Hugo since Valentine 's Day; apparently, my family was taking advantage of my good mood to try and persuade me to forgive him. Their previous attempts hadn't worked, and neither did this one. I still couldn't get over it. It was one thing to have a crush on her, to think she was pretty; that's acceptable. I mean, I thought plenty of people were good-looking. I thought her freaking brother was good-looking, for crying out loud! But _make out_ with her? And _hold her hand_? And _ask her out_? After how much she'd taunted him in our First Year? I didn't understand, and I didn't want to.

Wait. Did I just- no. No, I didn't. It was just a slip. Let's think of Kevin, Yeah, Kevin- your first kiss today, that was good, wasn't it? I closed my eyes and thought of the way his lips had pressed themselves gently on mine, and I'd returned the pressure; how they'd moved over mine, softly, moved with them. His tongue had touched my lips, but that's where I'd been caught out. I hadn't let his tongue in; it hadn't felt right. He said it was alright when I apologized for pulling out, said that it was okay if I needed time, but I shuddered at the thought: it's not time I needed. I felt like I'd never want his tongue unfurling in my mouth. I thought I'd feel invaded. I wanted out. It'd been fun to be around him when he was still "courting" me; but now that he'd charmed me, I found that he was rather monotonous. There was nothing new about him, nothing to explore.

With a deep sigh, I opened my eyes and was relieved to see that James and Al had given up and left. I trudged up the stairs, thinking of sinking into my bed. I changed hurriedly, dived under the covers and took out my diary. I began writing the day's events in it. Once I was done describing the match, the first thing that came into my mind was the notes: I hadn't received one in so long, it worried me. I rested my head, heavy with exhaustion, on my pillow and closed my eyes. Was no one watching over us anymore? Had they given up trying to warn us? Or had the danger been removed, and that's why he or she didn't contact us? Had Scorpius received anything else? No, I was sure he hadn't; he would've told me if he had. I curled up under my blanket, and wondered what Scorpius thought of his sister's relationship with my cousin. How long did he think they'd last? Had he forgiven his sister yet? Slowly, I felt myself drift off to sleep, my hand resting on my open diary.

**Yeah, a shorter chapter as well. Hope you liked it, though. REVIEW!**


	9. A fight and forgiveness

**A/N: Hey everyone! This is one of my favourite chapters so far, so I hope you like it too! Tell me if you don't- all you have to do is REVIEW!**

**DISCLAIMER: WHY, WHY must you constantly torture me? If I owned Harry Potter, would I be sitting here, writing FANFICTIONS?**

**Chapter Nine**

(Lily Potter)

I sat alone at my favourite spot by the lake, under the shade of a huge beech tree. As I watched the sun sinking behind the peaks of the huge mountains, I thought, not of the exams that had finished that day, but of my cousin. As little as I wanted to admit it, I missed Hugo, but I was too stubborn. I wouldn't apologise, because I'd done nothing wrong: I still believed that dating the prat was a big mistake: I mean, what would _she_ want with him? How can those two even have any _genuine _bond? But I was beginning to think that maybe it wasn't worth fighting with Hugo over this. But I didn't know what to say to him; what if he asked if I'd forgiven him? Did I have an answer to that question? What if he refused to talk to me, after my extreme reaction?

I sighed at the darkness that had enveloped me; I could not be outside after dusk, so I got up and took the most elaborate path I could think of to get to the oak front doors. As I passed by Hagrid's hut, I thought I heard something rustle at the edge of the forest, but I couldn't see anything. Automatically I sped up, knowing the type of creatures that lived in the forest; I had no desire to meet them.

A high-pitched shriek punctured the silence of the night. I whipped around, lighting the tip of my wand, but there was nothing to find. I glanced at Hagrid's hut, but the lights were out: he wasn't there. I judged my options: no Hagrid, so no immediate help; by the time I raised the alarm in the castle, it could be too late. I decided to venture into the forest and take my chances.

At the very edge, I had a sudden thought: what if it was just a battle between two animals? I didn't want to get into that. But the sound had seemed awfully humane to me and I couldn't, in good conscience, walk away with people in possible danger.

'Help! HELP! Somebody, help us!' This voice was not only human, but also known; I charged into the forest without a second thought.

'Hugo!' I screamed, breaking off the branches ahead of me, trying to find signs of humans in the narrow beam of wand light. 'Hugo! Where are you?' I heard rustling movement near me and immediately pointed my wand in that direction. I thought I saw the edge of a cloak disappear through the corner of my eyes, but the majority of my mind focused on the sickening vision in front of me. Hugo sat, hunched over a body, blood as scarlet as his hair pouring from a gash on his forehead. I stumbled closer to him and he looked up at the light.

'Lily,' he sobbed. 'Lily! No! Not you! They'll hurt you too! No! Go away!' I stared at the body in his arms. The beautiful blonde hair was stained shockingly red. I brushed the hair away to see the delicate face of Malfoy barely recognisable: there were deep gashes across her cheeks and forehead and her arms, left bare by the ripped sleeves, were mangled and bloody. Her normally pale face was parched white; she had lost so much blood! I removed my hand from her face and placed it over my mouth as nausea hit me at the sight of the pool of blood below Hugo's outstretched legs.

More rustling movement behind me alerted me to the meaning of Hugo's words. Who had done this to them? I turned around shakily to see two faces, one male and one female, leering at me out of the darkness. I felt the blood drain from my face as all the history I had ever read, the stories I had heard from my parents hit me in a dizzying blow. I knew the man; but it was impossible. He was supposed to be thousands of miles away, in Azkaban…How could he be here?

The female grinned evilly at the terror mixed with rage that showed plainly on my face as I stood up in front of my cousin and his girlfriend. 'Well, well, well, Fenrir,' she said, her voice a high soprano that sent shivers down my spine. 'It seems we've found another redheaded Weasley for our collection. How… delightful.'

The werewolf growled and stroked my cheek with a long, dirty nail. 'And she's pretty too,' he growled. He sounded truly pleased.

'Don't touch me!' I screeched, slapping his hand away from me in disgust.

'Brave too, Sophia,' he added.

'Foolishly so,' chuckled the woman. I couldn't fit her with anyone I'd ever met, or heard about, yet she seemed strikingly familiar, with her angular features and long, silky blonde hair. Who was she? How had these two appeared so close to Hogwarts? And what did they want?

The woman seemed to know what I was thinking, and answered. 'Well, little Weasley, we're here to kill Harry Potter.'

My head felt like it would explode: Dad? I should've known. I decided not to tell them I was his daughter. Better let them think me a Weasley, if that could save us. I concentrated on the werewolf, afraid that the woman would use Legimency against me. 'Well, then I'm assuming your after his children?'

'Smart, aren't you, girl?' she chided.

'Why d'you want Potter? How's he going to help you?' I inquired. I knew I had to keep them talking, I just didn't know why. There was no way out of this. I couldn't fight off two adults single-handedly, or make a run for it, not with Hugo and Malfoy with me. I was doomed, but I would go down fighting.

'We must fulfil our master's final desire, must we not?' she said. 'And besides, we must find out about those mentioned in the final proph-' she seemed to catch herself and smiled. 'Why d'you want to know, little one? You're delaying tactic will not help you. We can finish you any time we want, and those two lovebirds as well, and move on to the castle.'

I knew she was right. I drew myself to the fullest height. 'Go for it, then,' I said, knowing that I had no other choice.

The woman and Fenrir exchanged thrilled looks, and I felt a chill creep down my back again. 'You know,' she said, cocking her head to one side. 'Killing you actually distresses me. You're quite the little wildcat aren't you, love?' She gave a bone-chilling laugh and stroked my hair. I shrugged her off and cast a Stunner at her, hitting her squarely on the face. Before her body hit the ground, I felt a heavy mass pin me down. I screamed at the top of my voice before a long-nailed hand constricted on my throat, blocking my wind-pipe. My breath came in painful pants and I gave up squirming; the werewolf was too heavy and too strong. He stroked my cheek again, drawing it out, slowly. My body shivered in revulsion, but I could do nothing more to help myself.

'Pity,' said Greyback, his hot breath blowing on my exposed neck. 'You would be quite a beauty in a few years. Oh well,' I felt his lips against my neck and shuddered. 'I'll enjoy myself now, shall I?'

'I don't think so,' said an icy voice behind Greyback. Greyback barely got time to lift his head before a red bolt of light hit him; I groaned as his full weight fell on me. I tried pushing him off, to no avail. I felt the relief before I saw Greyback levitated off me, but I couldn't move. Snowy-white hands gripped me gently and pulled me up; the sudden rush of blood throughout my body had me dizzy for a few seconds before I got my bearings.

'Malfoy,' I muttered, looking up at him. 'What? How did you find us?'

'Later,' he said, shortly. He seemed satisfied that I was speaking again, so he left me and dropped to his knees beside Hugo. I watched him stroke his sister the way I had; he and Hugo looked up at me, and I saw the same deep sorrow echoed in their eyes. 'We have to get them out of here before the two lunatics wake up again,' he said.

I chanced a glance at the inert bodies. 'Right,' I said, a business-like edge to my shaky voice. 'Hugo, where's you wand?'

Hugo shrugged. 'It fell at some point.'

I raised mine. 'Accio wand!' I chanted, and Hugo's wand poked me on my shoulder-blade. I took it and gave it to Hugo, who still didn't know how to get up; he looked like he was scared to let go of Isabelle.

I walked up to him. 'Hugo, you have to let go of her.' He shook his head, tears spilling from his eyes. 'Hugo, the longer you delay this, the later she's going to get treatment. We need to move.' I looked at Malfoy for support, but he sat motionless, staring at his sister. 'Okay, Hugo,' I said, a bit more forceful. 'Listen, I'll levitate her, alright? That's the fastest way we can move. If you want, you can do it.'

Hugo shook his head again. 'I have more confidence in your magic than mine.'

'Alright,' I said, a tad mortified. 'Locomotor mortis!' I said, and watched the girl's inert body float into the air, above the trees, in front of me. Hugo got to his feet shakily, supported by Malfoy, who was staring at his sister's body in the air. We began stumbling through the forest, my wand and eyes trained on Isabelle's body, making sure she didn't fall. We made it out of the forest, and started sprinting headfirst towards the oak front doors. Inside those doors, chaos reigned.

Alice and Sam had realized we were missing and had informed a teacher. Meanwhile, Gomes had realized the twins were gone as well, so the entire castle was being searched. When we burst in through the doors, Isabelle's body floating eerily ahead of us, bodies converged on us immediately, taking Hugo and Isabelle away for treatment. After a quick check-up, Scorpius and I were taken up to Professor McGonagall's office to speak to her. She was sitting on the wing-backed Headmistress' chair, waiting. I noticed the large empty portrait frame directly behind her seat. She gestured for us to sit down and, when we had, she spoke.

'I would like to know what happened in the forest. Who is responsible for this?'

I launched into explanation straight away, and I saw Scorpius paying close attention as well. Once I'd finished till Greyback pinning me down, Scorpius took over. He explained how he had noticed his sister's absence and had set out to find her. He knew she'd gone for a walk and decided to search the grounds. He had been at the edge of the forest when he heard me scream and had followed my voice to find us. McGonagall was flabbergasted to hear we had met Greyback, who was supposed to be imprisoned; what was more worrying was this woman, Sophia, who nobody knew. She dismissed us hurriedly; she had begun spouting orders to the portraits even before we had left the room.

Malfoy and I walked in silence, both knowing where we were heading. Suddenly, he spoke. 'I haven't spoken to her since February.' He looked at me, his eyes glazed over with guilt and pain. 'Have you?' I shook my head jerkily. 'I feel so guilty.' I felt tears roll down my cheeks, leaving a hot trail behind. I nodded. I wished I had someone to hold on to, to tell me it would be alright; I needed to know that Hugo would be okay… but no one provided me with the reassurance.

We turned around a corner and entered the hospital wing corridor. I saw his hand shiver for a moment, suspended in mid-air, before he turned the handle and opened the door. He let me in first and followed close behind me. I saw Hugo sitting up in bed, watching Isabelle lying on the bed next to him. Madam Pomfrey was treating her, forcing Blood Replenishing Potion down her throat as she slept. Her wounds had been healed, the scars ghostly white on her frighteningly pale skin.

Hugo turned the door slid shut behind us. I ran up to his bed and threw my arms around him; sobs escaped my trembling lips and my tears wet his bedclothes. He patted my back gently. 'It's okay, it's okay. We're going to be fine,' he murmured softly, giving me the reassurance I'd been seeking.

Slowly, my breathing evened and I let go. 'I'm so sorry, Hugo.' He smiled at me, and that was all I needed.

* * *

This time on the train, we had a new passenger in our compartment. Isabelle had become an integral part of us during the last week of school, and had come to sit with Hugo on the train. With her at his side, Hugo seemed a totally new person. The year at Hogwarts had not answered any of my questions; moreover, new ones had been raised. However, one look at this new Hugo made me smile and I knew I would be alright, for now.

**Now that I think of it, you can review whether you like it or not- I don't mind! XD**


	10. This is only the Beginning

**A/N: Hey people! Bit later than usual? Well, yes, I'm EXTREMELY busy at the moment: exams coming up, and I'm directing the school play! XD Arms and the Man, by Bernard Shaw- quite funny, actually. But back to Connected- well, his chapter's more of a filler, you know, nothing of crucial importance really revealed, just a bit of build up. But that does not mean you won't read, and more importantly, REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: HOW MANY TIMES must I admit that I do not own Harry Potter? Isn't it a painful enough truth as it is?  
**

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**Chapter Ten**

(Lily Potter)

I reclined in my seat on the train and thought about the months of summer I had just left behind me; _we_ had left behind _us_, a voice in my head corrected, looking around the compartment at my family and friends: Fred, Cedric and Joe were chatting animatedly about the Chudley Cannons latest acquisition; newly appointed Head Girl, Tracy, Dominique and Rose were reading; Alex and Al were playing Exploding Snap and Hugo, with his arm around Isabelle, was talking grimly to Alice. I knew exactly what they were discussing, but I had no desire to join in their discussion. Instead, I shut my eyes and wondered what the year at Hogwarts would be like, with the new safety measures they were sure to impose on us. After all, there were two maniacs on the loose: one, a known criminal. The other was so little-known that nobody till now had been able to place a proper identification on her. All anyone knew was what I had told them: she had blonde hair, angular, pretty features and her name was Sophia: that was it. This, however, made her no less dangerous.

I remembered what was written in Mum's diary about her Second Year, when Sirius Black had escaped form Azkaban. They had placed Dementors at the entrances to the grounds to guard Hogwarts. I shuddered as I remembered the descriptions; I was very glad that Dementors were no longer used to guard Hogwarts. In fact, their movement was strictly regulated by the Ministry now. Nobody knew how Greyback had escaped from Azkaban, and it worried people, because he might help to break out the other prisoners, causing chaos the wizarding world hadn't faced in over twenty years… the voices around me faded into a dull, rhythmic drone… my thoughts swirled around in my head in an eddy of faces, shapes and colours, hypnotic almost… I followed their progress until my vision suddenly slipped…

Something smacked me hard across the face and I woke up with a jolt. James' face came into focus in front of me and I blinked. Other faces swam into view as well, all wearing the same mask of concern.

'Lily, are you okay?' James inquired, frowning.

'Err…yeah, I think so,' I said. 'Why wouldn't I be?'

Hugo spoke this time, not meeting me eyes. 'Well, you were whimpering and moaning in your sleep, so we thought we should wake you up.'

'Well, then, why'd you have to slap me?'

'We tried calling you, but you weren't responding!' James exclaimed. 'You kept saying, "No, don't hurt them, no! I'll take you to Dad! Just leave them alone!" Sorry about the slap, by the way.' He added.

'Lily, you do talk a lot in your sleep you know,' Alice said, sitting down next to me. 'Every night since last winter, you've been whining and moaning and muttering…do you have bad dreams?' I nodded. 'What about?' she asked.

'I can never remember,' I lied. I knew precisely what my dreams were, but it wasn't something I liked sharing in front of so many people. 'Why're you all standing? Sit down, I'm fine, don't worry!'

They all sat back down, shooting tentative glances in my direction every few minutes. To avoid their looks, I watched the scenery outside the window, where, as the train progressed on through the wilderness, rain began lashing against the window. I felt guilty for making them worry. But there was also a part of me that felt ashamed and infuriated: why was I having such terrifying dreams, and muttering in my sleep? Why was I such a weakling?

It was difficult to tell the time with the downpour outside. Before we knew it, the train clanked to a halt at the station and we lugged our things out into the deluge, hastening towards the carriages. By the time we'd piled into the stuffy carriages, we were drenched. Hugo and I were joined in our carriage by Isabelle and, surprisingly, Kevin. I'd thought- well, hoped, actually- that he wouldn't be able to track me down until at least tomorrow. Apparently his sixth sense had alerted him of my location even through the thunderstorm- brilliant.

I sighed inwardly as he took the empty seat beside me and planted a kiss on my unwilling lips. He smiled at me, and I smiled back; I wondered if he was totally blind, or if he just didn't want to see how artificial the enjoyment on my face was. At any rate, Hugo detected the deceit and snorted; he turned it into a hacking cough when I glared at him and Isabelle tittered.

I concluded that Kevin was totally blind, because he hadn't noticed any of this. He was too busy chattering away about his summer and chastising me about not replying to his letters. I had done so fervently anticipating that he would give up on me and move on this year- the only time I ever expressed passion in matters concerning him- but apparently it hadn't worked. And as little as I wanted to be unkind, it seemed that I would have to spell it out to him, loud and clear, and soon, because I was really getting worn out.

* * *

The Great Hall fell silent as soon as Professor McGonagall stood up after the feast. Everyone was expecting warnings and safety measures, and we were not let down.

'Well, students, we all know how close they came to invading our grounds last year and causing mayhem. Therefore, I think it would be wise on our part to take as many measures as we can to ensure the safety of all present in the castle. Now, this will require cooperation from members of staff, as well as from the students. So I ask that you all try your hardest to protect both yourselves, as well as your schoolmates.

'Now,' she continued with a new, business-like edge to her tone. 'I would like to go through these measures once with all of you. The main doors will be locked by spellwork at precisely 6 in the evening. No one will be allowed in, or let out, after this time. All students must be back in their common rooms by 8 pm, latest; we will be very strict about students wandering around after deadline, unless of course, you are on duty.

'This leads me to my next point. Students who volunteer will be paired up with a team-mate and asked the patrol the corridors after dark. It will follow a cycle, of course, and it is totally voluntary. Also, we will have special duelling lessons for those who would like to learn. I would greatly recommend attending this class, because it is essential to know how to defend yourself in times of danger. You can sign up with your Heads of House.

'Also, I think it is safer to cancel Quidditch for this season.' An angry buzzing erupted all over the Hall, but McGonagall continued, unperturbed. 'It is for your own safety. Practices cannot be held after dark, and you all have classes, so I believe it to be more practical to cancel it altogether, preventing staff members the necessity of tracking down stray Quidditch players who are trying to sneak back to their House common rooms after an illegal jaunt in the air after hours.'

'That is all I have to say. I think I have made my point. Good night to you all.'

The babbling on all sides began straight away as the students made their way out of the Hall, deep in conversation about the Headmistress' speech. I looked at Alice and Hugo and saw that they were surprised as well.

'I can't believe they're going to make students patrol!' said Alice. 'That's really risky, you know!' Hugo nodded feverishly.

I thought about it before I answered. 'You know, I think its okay. It's voluntary, isn't it? I think that it's good to be giving the students a chance to really train themselves, preparing themselves for the real world.' Hugo and Alice still looked slightly uneasy, but before either could say anything, James and Fred appeared on my other side.

'Spoken like a true Potter and Gryffindor, you have,' said James proudly, thumping me on the back; apparently they'd been listening. 'Unlike Al, who's too frightened of the big, scary, boogie monster.' He snorted in a mixture of humour and disgust at the cowardice of our brother.

Fred cast Hugo a disapproving look. 'You, boy, need to grow some backbone!' he exclaimed. 'What kind of Weasley are you, eh?' Hugo looked slightly ashamed and didn't say anything. I knew he was cowed, so I diverted the topic.

'What about the Quidditch season getting cancelled, though?' I said, truly angry, but my words had the effect I'd anticipated. Fred and James burst into infuriated rants which continued all the way up to the foot of the stairs leading to the girls' dormitory, where the boys were forced to turn away as I climbed up the stairs to my dorm. Tanya and Christine were already snoring gently, so Alice and I didn't talk, but went straight to bed.

As I lay, unable to sleep, despite being full to the brim, I thought about the notes I'd received the previous year. I hadn't seen Malfoy yet, so I couldn't ask him if he'd received any more. I wondered if our meeting with the Death Eaters had been the danger he or she had warned us of; would he or she reveal him or herself now that it had passed? Scorpius' note had called me his "partner", I recalled. Partner- for what? And would our mysterious correspondent send us anymore notes to warn us of impending danger? Would there _be _any more danger?

As if in answer to my questions, a note lay on my trunk when I awoke the next morning. I read quietly it to myself-

"_This is only the beginning_."

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**Hope you liked it! Even if you didn't, all you have to do is PRESS the button and I'll know. XD Oh, and thanks to my beta, Zehra. ;P**


	11. Potter to Lily and back to Potter again

**A/N: Long time, no update? Yes, well, the answer to that is final exams. Bleh. Anyway, they're over now, and I'm free for the summer! =D This chapter is on the shorter side, so read, review and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Oh my God, why're you so annoying? Go away! I know JKR owns Harry Potter!**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

(Lily Potter)

'Hugo, you shouldn't this if you don't want to,' I muttered. It was just after lunch on the second Friday of the term, the last day to sign up for patrol duty. I'd signed up a week ago, the first time Professor Longbottom had come round with the list. Hugo now stood in line in the Great Hall, resolute that he would sign up. 'I'm not saying it's not a good thing, but I don't think you should sign up under pressure.'

There was no change in Hugo. 'It's not from pressure. I have to prove myself!'

'To who?' I asked, exasperated.

'To those who think I can't do this!'

'And you're saying that isn't under pressure?' I raised my eyebrows, my arms crossed across my chest.

'Listen, Lily,' he said, with an air of explaining to an obstinate toddler that the tooth fairy had left the money under her pillow, and not her mother. 'This is just something I have to do, okay? Now stop bugging me.'

I sighed and gave up; this boy was as stubborn as a mule. Besides, I would be late for class if I delayed any longer. I had Divination now: I had Firenze this year, which was rather disappointing. I'd heard all about Trelawney, and I'd wanted to meet her. Neither James nor Al had taken Divination, but I was always the most curious when it came to prophecies and predicting the future. And ever since my meeting with Greyback, I'd been even more inquisitive; Sophia had caught herself before she'd let out the secret, but I'd heard enough to know she was talking about a prophecy- the "last" one, she'd said. I knew that there's no way I'd know which prophecy she was referring to, but I still wanted to know as much as I could about prophecies, especially since whoever had been sending me notes had evidently predicted that I was in danger.

Divination with Firenze, however, was very different from what I'd been expecting. We had to watch the sky and burn herbs and plants- it was rather odd. Firenze had explained to us on the very first day that centaur divination was about tracing changes in times, about great tides of evil which would affect the world and not about trivial human problems, such as the weather. We had all been awestruck by his speech, his amazing classroom and his mystical aura, but none of us had really been able to understand what we were supposed to be seeing. Today, after two hours of gazing at the night sky, Firenze had seemed unfazed by our lack of improvement. As we were leaving, however, he called out my name and I turned to face him, surprised. He waited till everyone had left till he spoke again.

'You are Harry's daughter.' It wasn't a question, so I waited for him to continue. 'Your father is a great man. I feel that I should warn you ahead of time,' his expression became severe as he spoke. 'I've observed that bad times are ahead of us. We centaurs have been wrong before and I sincerely hope this is such an occasion. Things aren't as they seem. They're changing. I thought it would be wise to inform you.'

I paled. Did he know anything about the notes? 'Firenze, do you know who-?'

He cut across me. 'I will not say anymore.' The finality in his tone told me I was dismissed.

I walked out of the class in a daze, attempting to process what Firenze had said; I barely got a chance: Kevin was waiting for me outside the door.

'Hey there!' he said cheerily, grabbing my free hand.

'Hi,' I muttered, barely audible, hoping to convey my emotions. No effect at all. My eyebrows knit together in frustration- what would it take to get him to back off?

'I just had Charms; we did the Cheering Charm. It was so much fun!' he said.

I sighed: that explained why he was bouncing on the balls of his feet and chortling every other second. 'Nice,' I said, with no change in my tone.

'Oh, and, did you know we have our first Hogsmeade trip next weekend?' I nodded. He continued. 'So, shall we go together?'

I thought for a second before I answered. I had no desire to go with him; every second I spent in his presence seemed like torture. I realized that if there was ever a good chance to break up with him, it was now. He had a Cheering Charm on him: nothing would bring him down. 'Um, Kevin, I've been meaning to talk to you.' He chortled again. Yep, nothing would affect him. 'Listen, I don't think we should see each other any more.'

He stared at me for a few seconds before speaking. 'Oh, really? Well, that's not good, but it's alright!' He let go of my hand and skipped down the corridor; I saw several people turn their heads to watch his progress and laugh.

I walked slowly down to dinner, still thinking about Firenze's warnings. I knew he predicted nothing personal. But then why had he warned me? I had no answers. It was frustrating, to be constantly searching for answers, but to find nothing.

I sat down beside Christine for dinner and began shovelling the shepherd's pie into my mouth.

'Hungry much?' she commented, watching me gobble. I just nodded; she laughed and continued to watch me. I spared a glance at her plate and saw that she had finished. She suddenly spoke. 'So how's Shadow?'

This was her nickname for Kevin, originating from the fact that he followed me like a shadow. 'We broke up,' I answered shortly, my mouth stuffed with pie.

'I was waiting for that to happen.' I looked up in surprise. 'Oh come on, it's obvious you were totally disenchanted.'

'Obvious to everyone but him, apparently,' I muttered.

She giggled. 'So…eyes on anyone else?'

'Nope,' I answered. 'I'm not really looking for anything.'

She nodded wisely. 'I know what you mean. But,' she lowered her voice, 'I think I know someone who's looking for you.' She winked.

'Who?'

'Well, I'm not sure, but I think Andrew's falling for you,' she whispered.

I spurted out the pumpkin juice I was drinking; Albus, who was sitting opposite me, looked up from his pie, shaking his wet hair and grumbling. 'Sorry Al,' I said hurriedly, trying not to laugh. I turned back to Christine. 'How would you know?'

'Well, for one thing, he's been staring at you ever since you came to dinner.' I slowly turned my head to look; she was right. I looked away immediately, blushing.

'So?' she demanded, a business-like edge to her tone.

I placed my finger and pointed at Professor McGonagall, who had just stood up and asked for everyone's attention. She looked away reluctantly and I breathed out in relief.

'Alright, students, Professor Longbottom will now announce the pairs for patrol duty. Might I add that they have been picked at random and there is no way to change the partnerships, so don't even try.' I thought I saw her eyes flicker towards me for a moment, but I was sure I'd imagined it. Why would that be?

Professor Longbottom began reading out pairs of names according to alphabetical order. I wasn't really paying attention until I heard "Potter, Lily" called out much earlier than I'd expected. But I'd missed who I was with, so I looked at Tina, who muttered "the Malfoy boy". My blood ran cold. Perfect, just perfect. Could things get any more _coincidental_? Wait, _was_ this coincidental? Or did McGonagall know something? Or was I just being extremely paranoid?

I looked towards the Slytherin table and a pair of silvery eyes found mine through the crowd. He nodded his head once, but didn't break the contact. We gazed at one another until Professor Longbottom had finished reading out the names and announced something about collecting routines from him the next day; we were dismissed.

* * *

The next day, I went to Professor Longbottom after lunch to collect our routines.

'Ah, Lily,' said Professor with a warm smile, 'Come in, come in! Spectacular timing, you know, very convenient. Mr Malfoy's here now as well!' I looked up to find Malfoy standing by the desk, a piece of parchment in his hand. I attempted to smile at him. Again, he nodded, just once, and returned to examining the routine.

'Here,' said Professor, handing me a routine, with certain times highlighted. 'The coloured sections are the times you are to patrol. The places are also mentioned. You aren't required to patrol at any time, or any place, that isn't given, or you'll be facing punishment.' He paused momentarily. 'Are you two friends?'

Malfoy's gaze met mine for a brief moment before I answered in a formal tone, 'We've been acquainted.'

Professor chuckled. 'Well, I must say, I was surprised when the Headmistress requested that I place you two together. I mean a Gryffindor and a Slytherin? Although,' as if he had suddenly realized how much he'd given away, 'there should be no differences between the houses, now, should there? Now, off you go!'

I turned and I heard Malfoy follow me out, slamming the door behind him. As we walked together through the corridor I decided to tell him my speculations.

'I think McGonagall knows something.'

I watched him for his reaction. He nodded silently; he seemed deep in thought. 'It's possible. That's the only explanation as to why she'd want us together.'

There was silence again as we strode down the twisted staircase with a trick step. I broke it again, this time voicing what I felt. 'I'm actually surprised you're here. I didn't mark you down as the voluntary worker-type.'

'Please, Lily. I'm not.' Malfoy snorted. 'They caught me and Selena out of the common room after hours. They weren't happy, and this is apparently my punishment.' I laughed, surprised that he'd used my first name. It seemed almost as if he'd heard what I'd thought, because when he spoke again, there was a tone of finality in his voice. 'I'll see you tomorrow, Potter. At precisely 9 pm on the third floor, right?'

I checked my routine. 'Yes you will.' I watched him walk down the stairs and wondered what had caused him to switch from calling me Lily to Potter again.

* * *

**Yes, yes, I know the pairing was obvious- it HAD to be. You can't blame me! So now that you're done reading, REVIEW!**


	12. An unusual connection & a few surprises

**A/N: Hey! Long time, no update? Well, I've actually been kind of absorbed in other stuff... teengae life, you know. And I've come up with a new story- Dramione- so I've kind of been thinking about that for a while, so... Anyways, here's the new chapter! Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Twelve**

(Lily Potter)

With the Quidditch season cancelled, I would generally have had a lot of free time; this year, however, the free time was occupied by the increased pressure of studies with our new subjects, and with writing to Mum and Dad, as well as Grandma Molly everyday, as we had promised during the summer. The duelling lessons were coming along well, and almost every student in school had signed up for it. The very first spell we were taught was the Disarming Charm, which Dad had taught me as soon as I'd learned to hold a wand straight. Hugo and I had spent that lesson Disarming random people (mostly Slytherins) from a distance and watching in amusement the astonishment on their faces as their wands soared out of their hands without their partners uttering a word.

Not as many people had volunteered for patrol duty: it was mainly the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, and very few Ravenclaws. The only Slytherins present were the Malfoy twins, Zabini and Gomes. I was very disappointed with this outcome, as I explained to Malfoy one evening when he'd asked me why I expected everyone to be eager to "risk their necks for no reason", as he'd put it. I was surprised when he asked, because we hardly ever broke the stony silence in which we completed our sentry duty.

'It's about protecting your loved ones!' I said indignantly.

'Well, you'll sure be one hell of a lot of protection if you get yourself blown up. I mean, most of us barely know more than elementary magic; we aren't properly trained in magical combat. We are powerless against those who followed the Dark Lord.'

'Dark Lord?' I scoffed. 'Are you still afraid to call him by his true name- Voldemort?' Malfoy flinched and I laughed. 'Please; Voldemort's gone. You can't still be scared, can you?'

'It's the way I was brought up,' he answered icily. 'I was raised to fear his name, the way my father does. My family was greatly affected by him.'

'You think your family was affected by Voldemort?' A humourless laugh escaped my lips before I continued, outraged by his assumptions. 'My grandparents were murdered by him personally! I lost so many family members because of him and his tyrannical reign!' I breathed in and out deeply a few times to calm myself before continuing. 'Well, maybe it's simplest to say that I was brought up to believe that I should always do my best to help protect the people I love.'

'But what's the point in protecting them if you don't love them? I mean, how can you care if you don't even know them?'

I laughed again, with no more humour than the previous time. 'It's just something I've always been familiar with- being unselfish and giving for the greater good.'

'I think it's just bullshit made up to make yourselves feel more heroic.'

That really got to me, although I knew I shouldn't have let it. I tried not to show it by simply shrugging it off. 'Whatever. That's sort of how I feel about you still being afraid of saying Voldemort's name. It's just a pile of crap.'

Silence reigned supreme for the rest of our patrol that night, and for a few weeks to follow. Sometimes, when I considered breaking the quiet, a tiny, rather cynical voice in my head played his role and replied to my thoughts. With the sceptical responses that my mind's model provided, I decided not to talk unless absolutely necessary, which suited both of us perfectly.

Hugo had been paired up with Florence, Dean and Luna's 14 year-old daughter. Al had Kevin's sister, Zoe, also in Ravenclaw, and I had a hunch that he was falling for her, with her long, shiny black hair and matching eyes. James was with (surprise, surprise) Christine and, although she tried not to show it, I knew she was over the moon about it. The only one who seemed as dissatisfied as I felt was Fred, who had been coupled with Jessica Zabini, a Slytherin from my year. But neither of us voiced our complaints and so our suffering went unnoticed.

* * *

It was not until December, on our last patrol before the Christmas break that Malfoy and I spoke again. I had received another message: "_Beware the friction that has been created. It will bring you down from within._" I wanted to know if he'd received one as well. As soon as we'd met up on the seventh floor, my mind began buzzing.

_Will he bring it up?_ I wondered. The model of his voice in my head returned. _Why don't you just ask me and make things simple?_ I shuddered at how realistic the tone of his mental voice was. I suddenly realized that I was actually speaking to myself and imagining his voice:

_I must be going crazy_, I concluded.

His voice spoke again and I imagined the smirk that would spread across his face as he said it: _Yes you are. Talking to yourself: first sign of madness. Although I can't blame you: I generally have that effect on women. _

I shook my head at the thought and looked at him to ask about the note; but the very smirk I'd imagined was pasted across the _real_ face of Malfoy, and that drove everything else out of my mind. I frowned. _What is he smirking at?_ I speculated.

His voice replied again. _Well, I'm smirking because I'm… wait, hold on a second. Are you _actually _thinking all this?_

_What d'you mean?_ My mental voice counter-queried.

Malfoy spoke out loud, the confusion I felt etched all over his usually impassive expression. 'Potter, what were you just thinking about?'

'Err, about how I'm going crazy because I'm imagining your voice in my head,' I replied uncertainly.

Malfoy looked utterly bemused. 'I don't think you're imagining it. And if hearing my voice in your head makes you crazy, then apparently so am I.'

I screwed up my eyes and thought hard about Mum's first time on a broomstick- something I was sure Malfoy had no way of knowing about. _Well, _I asked him mentally, _what broomstick did Mum ride the first time?_

_A Shooting Star, _snorted Malfoy's voice. 'Shooting Star,' he repeated out loud, watching me in amazement.

_What is going on?_ We thought together, bewildered. Neither knew the answer.

* * *

Christmas break passed in a haze of merriment, as well as stress; everyone was concerned about the lack of headway with the investigations into Greyback and Sophia. Most of the adults were totally distracted and often missing from the proceedings; those who were left at the Burrow were constantly anxious about where the others were. The only good thing was that the Weasley clock showed that they were in no danger, merely "At work". But the tense atmosphere had effects on the youngsters as well, and we weren't quite as jolly as usual.

Malfoy and I were keeping in touch, not willingly, but because we couldn't help but overhearing each other. At night, we would literally converse, discussing how ingenious it was to send us that note to break the ice between us. We wondered how closely we were being watched and if "they" knew that we were connected; connection was the only word we could find that explained the queer situation we were facing. It was like our heads had merged into this one huge arena, with both our thoughts in it, each of us seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling what the other was. There was hardly any way we could block each other out. I'd started thinking hard about Ancient Runes or Arithmancy every time I went to the bathroom, changed or took a bath; when Malfoy had mocked me for thinking about studies during the vacation, I told him why and he promised not to watch during those times, if I warned him beforehand. I decided to trust him, but since I had no way of knowing when he was watching me, I started singing louder than usual in the shower, putting my whole attention into it. I remembered precisely what he had thought, and in what tone, when I was looking at my reflection in the mirror, wearing a white lace dress, with matching mistletoe in my hair, on Christmas day.

_Wow. Somebody's looking sexy. Who's it all for, though? Corner isn't around. _

_For your information, it's been three months since I dumped Corner. And don't you have a girlfriend? Isn't Gomes enough to keep you occupied?_

_Poor Corner. And if it weren't for Selena, I may have considered you, you know. _

I snorted. Rose raised her eyebrows at me. I realized how nutty I must seem to her, snorting into thin air. _Oh, I'm so honoured._

_But of course. Girls would do anything to get me, so you should consider yourself very lucky._

_Yeah, right. What-ever. And one more look that way and I'll pierce your eyes out the next time I see you._

_Technically, that won't stop me from looking that way._ I could imagine the smug expression on his face and turned away from the mirror, grumbling; but mentally, I knew I was laughing; and if that's what I was doing in my mind, then he knew it too.

* * *

'Lily!' It was Fred. He beckoned me into a corner of the living room of the Burrow where everyone else was chatting worriedly. It was the day we were supposed to return to Hogwarts, but our departure was being delayed because Dad and Aunt Hermione still hadn't returned from work.

'What's up, Fred?'

'You know you're my favourite sister, right?'

'Oh really? I'm flattered,' I smirked, fanning myself ostentatiously with my hand.

'Yeah, yeah, now can you keep a secret?'

'Ooh, secret?'

'Girls,' he muttered, rolling his eyes. 'Now will you?'

'Sure.' I was forever willing to be let in on secrets. I loved mystery and suspense.

'Well… I, Frederick Weasley Junior, am dating Jessica Zabini, daughter of Pansy and Blaise Zabini.'

I burst out laughing immediately. 'Nice joke, Freddie. Perfect way to break the tension. You should try it on the others as well.'

He looked at me more seriously than I had ever seen him- Fred was never serious. 'I'm not joking, Lily.'

My eyes widened as I registered the tone of his voice- even Freddie wasn't this good an actor. 'Oh-my-God. You aren't, are you?'

'She finally gets it.'

I squealed.

'Sshh!' he said, looking around. 'No one else knows!'

'How? When? Where?'

'Patrol duty! Ssh!'

'I want more details!'

'Alright, alright! It-'

But he was interrupted by the general outcry as Dad and Aunt Hermione arrived with the news of the breakout of four Death Eaters from Azkaban: Rabastan Lestrange, Gregory Goyle Senior and Junior, and Vincent Crabbe Senior. Everyone assumed that Greyback and Sophia had assisted this breakout and were worried about the growing power of the Dark side. Grandma Molly had bought a miniature of the Weasley clock which she hung around her neck at looked at every two minutes to make sure all her children and grandchildren were safe.

Upon arrival, we found that security inside the school had intensified. Now, only third-years and above were allowed to patrol the corridors, increasing the number of shifts each of us had. All Hogsmeade trips had been cancelled and several students were being pulled out of school by concerned parents.

Malfoy was constantly worrying about his grandparents and parents. Narcissa and Lucius, along with Draco, had everything to worry about: they had betrayed the Voldemort and now that his supporters were on the loose again, they were in as much danger as Voldemort's enemies. Scorpius had nothing to worry about, here in Hogwarts, under so much protection, but I knew how tensed he was about his family: he could not even contact them, from fear of the owl being intercepted. I tried to reassure him, console him, but I knew my attempts were futile. I couldn't blame him; even I was anxious about my family, who were directly related to Voldemort's downfall. But I knew that it was a waste of my time worrying about Narcissa, Lucius, Draco or my family- the bet I could do was sit tight and concentrate on my schoolwork.

* * *

**You know, I just realized that this has a lot of page breaks. Hmm, oh well. Surprised? Shocked? Dyou want to kill me? *ducks* All you have to do is review and you can throw anything you like at me! =D**


	13. Love?

**A/N: Here it is! Review, people, PLEASE. Give me some form of motivation, or I might just abandon this and get on with the Dramione I've been planning!**

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**Chapter Thirteen**

(Lily Potter)

Despite our inhabitation of one another's minds, Malfoy and I still referred to each other by surnames. I did it basically because I couldn't figure out why anyone would name their child Scorpius; I didn't bother finding out why he never called me Lily. I had bigger problems to worry about. What with spending increased time with him, not to mention sharing his thoughts, I had begun to grow fond of Malfoy.

At first, I had convinced myself that it was because of the connection we shared; he had become like a friend. I was affectionate of him the same way I was affectionate of Sam, and Hugo. But then one day, I ran across a memory of him and Gomes, sitting together in _my_ spot near the lake under the beech tree; as the memory played out, I got more and more agitated as I saw how intimate Malfoy and Gomes got, and how he felt as he kissed her, as she gently rubbed his shoulders, as she trailed kisses along them...

I tried to think that it was because _I_ didn't want to be having thoughts about another _girl_. But as soon as I replaced Gomes with myself in the memory, I felt a dormant creature in my chest purr with satisfaction. Somehow, it became easy for me to hide these thoughts from him: I imagined a wall, and placed them behind the wall, beyond his access: he never asked about it. Maybe he didn't even know it existed, because he never even thought about it. Slowly, the area behind the wall began to expand and the memories increased, as I recorded the exact colour of his misty eyes, the precise way his lips curled upwards when he smirked…

But I knew he loved Gomes; even Gomes didn't know as much as I did, and it seemed to puncture my heart, bleeding and bleeding until it was left bloodless, drained…I knew I didn't stand a chance: Gomes was the only one he saw, the only one he wanted to see, and I had no choice but to accept it.

* * *

Classes continued, and life went on; February swung around the corner, bringing Valentine's Day with it; it was the first time we would be allowed into the Ball, and all the girls of my Year were thrilled, planning what they were going to wear and scheming how to get the boys they wanted. I tried to act enthusiastic, and most people bought it, which pleased me. I was becoming quite the actress.

One night while I was getting into bed, I caught Malfoy thinking about how to ask Gomes to the Ball.

_Please, Malfoy, you surely can't be tensed about asking Gomes to the Ball!_

_And why not?_

_Because you two are crazy about each other! There's no problem!_

_I suppose._

_Trust me. You shouldn't have a problem. It's obvious that you two are utterly in love._

I felt him grin. I think he sensed a buried emotion in me. _What about you, Potter? You know, you don't seem as wound up about this thing as the other girls._

_What makes you say that?_

_For one thing, you're not buzzing all day about dresses and make-up and schemes to draw in men. In fact, I sometimes hear you scoff mentally at the other girls. _

I blushed in the darkness. _Well, I'm not too eager this time round._

_Who're you going with?_

I blushed again. _No one, until now._

_What?_ He seemed truly surprised. _No one's asked _you_ yet?_

_You seem surprised._

_Well, obviously. I thought someone will have asked you by now. You're quite popular, you know._

_Yeah, right. Sure._

_No, Potter, really. I hear what boys say. To them, you're quite the catch._

I noticed how he said, "to them", not mentioning himself in that category. I bid him goodnight hurriedly before the conversation steered in a direction that would hurt me.

I'd been noticing Andrew's movements around me ever since I'd broken up with Kevin; he was the typical schoolboy with a crush: overly-friendly, helpful and complimentary. He walked with me to all of the classes we shared, carried my books and picked up anything I dropped. I'd always thought Andrew was rather cute, with his tousled brown hair and chestnut eyes. He was charming as well, but I was too spellbound by Malfoy at the moment to really notice.

The very night after my conversation with Malfoy, however, Andrew plonked himself down beside me at dinner and began chatting about our most recent duelling lesson, where I'd defeated Malfoy spectacularly after a long and intense battle. To be honest, it was a real competition, because we kept picking our next moves out of each other's minds and acting accordingly. In the end I'd won because Malfoy had been distracted when Gomes had fallen with a scream at Zabini's Tickling Charm.

Just as we began dessert, Andrew brought up the Ball. 'So, umm, Lily, who're you going with?'

'No one, until now,' I said, blushing lightly.

'Really?' Andrew asked, astonished.

'Yeah,' I replied, concentrating on my treacle tart.

'Well… will you go with me?' asked Andrew.

I glanced up at him; he was blushing a scarlet that would make any Weasley proud. 'Sure,' I said.

He seemed amazed at his luck as he stood up. 'So I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall at seven?'

I smiled. 'Of course.' He grinned and walked away.

_There you go _said the only voice in my head.

_You were listening?_

_I couldn't help it._

_Never mind. I know what its like. Have you asked Gomes yet?_

_Yes. Went pretty smooth._

I twisted around in my seat to smile at him across the Hall. _See? I told you so._ He smirked back, and I sighed wistfully at the arm he had wrapped around Gomes' slim waist.

* * *

I tucked a stray lock of my vivid hair behind my ear and examined myself in one of the huge mirrors placed against the four walls of the Great Hall: my long red hair, pulled up in a ponytail, revealing the open back, was in stark contrast with the white lace dress that fitted carefully over my body; the halter neckline left my arms bare; my feet were slightly uncomfortable in the heels, but I didn't have a choice: I looked tiny without them. I sighed, I remembering that, according to Mum's diary, she had had her growth spurt at the age of fourteen. Just one more year to wait.

_You know all that and you still wonder why boys like you._

_Haven't I told you not to listen to me think about myself?_

_You know I can't help it. Besides, I can see you right now. You look very nice. Peters is lucky._

I felt myself blush slightly and turned to look at Malfoy across the Hall. He was wearing black dress robes which brought his silvery eyes into greater prominence; he winked at me._ You don't clean up too bad yourself. I can see a chick at ten o clock, definitely checking you out. _ I watched him laugh, but he didn't even turn to look at the Ravenclaw Second Year, who was actually quite pretty. Wait- she was Sam's sister; what was her name again? Megan? _Gomes looks pretty._

_She looks gorgeous. _He turned to look at her and saw her through his eyes: her blonde hair pulled up and then let free, the curls draping over her shoulders, her slim frame wrapped in a pale blue dress which matched her eyes. She really was beautiful; I was no competition, I thought mournfully.

'Shall we dance?' piped up Andrew from beside me.

'Sure,' I said, turning, sighing inwardly. He placed one of his hands lightly on my waist and took one of mine in his other. Slowly, he began to swing me to the slow rhythm of the music. He was a good dancer and expertly twirled me away and back towards him again. We'd already eaten; I assumed it was something around ten-thirty. The Ball would end at midnight; it was actually quite pleasant. I watched as Al danced nervously with Zoe Corner, scared of tripping on the hem of his robes and chuckled. James was having a splendid time, dancing with a whole list of girls who'd lined up to come with him. Hugo and Isabelle seemed totally absorbed in each other, Hugo in bottle green robes, Isabelle in a lilac wrap-around dress.

Suddenly I felt Andrew's lips press on mine; a jolt went through me and I drew back immediately. Andrew looked totally bewildered.

'I'm so sorry, Andrew,' I said, slightly out of breath. 'I didn't make myself clear, did I? I'm… I'm not really looking for anything at the moment. I mean, you're really nice, really charming and I like you, but,' I took a deep breath. 'I don't think I'm ready for anything right now.'

Andrew just smiled and the tenderness with which he spoke surprised me. 'It's alright, Lily, really. I just wanted to try. Besides, it's okay if you're not looking for anything… But if you ever feel like you're ready, I want you to know that I'm here, waiting… I know this will be difficult to believe, but…I think I love you, Lily.'

I was dumbfounded. I thought it was just an infatuation. I didn't know what to say. I mean, _love_? Wow. I mean, w-o-w. I smiled up at the boy who claimed he loved me. 'Thanks Andrew. That was very… touching.'

That night, as I got into bed, Malfoy visited my mind again.

_Falling for Peters?_

_What?_ I was caught off-guard by the question.

_You're falling for Peters. _

_Am I?_

_Aren't you?_

_Well, you know me just as well as I do._

_No, Lily, I know your mind as well as you do. I have no idea what's going on in your heart._

I smiled unwillingly against my pillow as he said Lily; I thanked God that he didn't know what was going on in my heart because, at that precise moment, it was going through complete chaos. I knew I didn't have a chance with Malfoy, no matter how I felt. And here was a boy who said he loved me. _Love_. He was a very nice boy, charming, funny, sweet and quite good-looking. And he loves me, I thought. The first one to say that. What would Mum say? _Love_.

Malfoy caught on that last word. _Love? Really? He said that?_ I felt him explore my mind for the memory and watch it. _Wow. I mean, wow. _I laughed; his reaction was a ditto of mine. _I think you should go for him, Potter. _

Back to Potter again, huh? _Malfoy, why do you always call me Potter?_

_What else am I supposed to call you? Weaver? Locksmith?_

_Haha, very funny. No, I mean, you never call me Lily._

_Oh. Well… I'm not sure. I always thought it would make you feel uncomfortable if I called you Lily. I mean…we weren't friends, were we?_

_What about now?_

_Now…definitely friends._

I smiled against my pillow again. _D'you think we'd ever get this close if it hadn't been for this connection?_

_I highly doubt it. Unless Hugo and Isabelle got married, which I'm sure they will, at the rate they're going._

I laughed out loud, but quickly silenced myself. _That would be hilarious. Imagining your parents and Hugo's in the same room is hard enough._

I felt Malfoy's amusement. _Either way, what's happened has happened. What matters is what we are now: friends._

_Friends, _I echoed, turning the word over in my mind. _Well, Malfoy, I'm gonna turn in. Try to keep Gomes out of my dreams._

He laughed. _Goodnight, Lily._

_Goodnight, Scorpius._

* * *

**Too mushy? Well, then I apologize. I just had to add it in. REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	14. Trelawney?

**A/N: Hey people!**** Here's the next chapter... Hope you like it!**

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Chapter Fourteen**

(Lily Potter)

Days stretched into weeks, and the weeks became months as the chill winds subsided, replaced by the clear skies and green grass, the scent of flowers engulfing you with every step you take out of doors; but opportunities to experience the sunshine or inhale the fragrant air came very seldom, with our restrictions increased- we weren't allowed to leave the castle apart from Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures classes. Even without Quidditch practice, I was startled by the pace at which Easter came and went. We began to worry about the approaching exams and this year, I actually needed to concentrate on revision. Surprisingly, our patrol duties were neither cancelled, nor even reduced. We even had patrols at night, at any time our schedules indicated. This was one reason for Malfoy's constant grumbling, because he hadn't signed up for this; it was also apparently cutting short his time with Gomes.

A jolt similar to an electric shock passed through me every time I heard Malfoy mention Gomes, even in his- sorry, _our _head. It seemed so confusing to me- on one hand, I was actually beginning to develop feelings for Andrew, who was such a sweetheart. On the other hand, I literally have this boy in my head, and I'm quite crazy about him…with his pale, smooth hair falling in his eyes… his steel eyes, never betraying any emotion… what was I doing? What did I _have _to do? I was torn between the two- should I stick to Malfoy, even though I was confirmed not to stand a chance? Or should I go for this sweet, adorable boy, who said he loves me- _loves _me? Was their really a choice to be made? Would I be able to get over Malfoy, even if I wanted to? Would sheer willpower be enough? Was I even willing to?

Okay, getting over Malfoy was definitely something I wanted to do- I mean, who wants to be in love with someone who doesn't love you? Wait- in love? No, exaggeration. I just liked him, that's all. A crush. But it was excruciating, painful beyond words…surely moving on was the best thing for me? For my poor, broken heart? I decided it would be top of my "To-do list"…once the exams were over, that is.

The exams rushed at as with unreasonable haste and were brutal and unforgiving; even with that, I thought I did considerably well. The night before my Ancient Runes exam, Malfoy and I randomly made up our minds to ask Professor McGonagall if she knew anything the following day, when we'd both be done. We thought it was worth the shot, even if it did mean exposing ourselves to her if she didn't know; but all evidence suggested that she did, and we definitely wanted to know who had sent us the messages and why we were connected in this absurd way. More importantly, we needed to know if we were in danger.

The Ancient Runes exam was the most difficult of the lot, but it went okay. I would pass, at any rate. I was more anxious about what was to come later that day, when we questioned McGonagall. Malfoy and I decided to meet up as close to the gargoyle as possible, because it wouldn't do for us to be seen together in public. We were starting from our common rooms, so he reached before me. Just as I passed through a corridor on the fourth floor, I heard a voice from inside one of the classrooms. It was unlike any voice I'd ever heard before: a painful grunt, yet somehow high-pitched, jerky and rough, yet vibrant, somehow rich; it wasn't saying anything in particular. I followed the voice inside to see a woman sitting at a desk, her eyes, framed with huge glasses, magnifying her vivid rolling eyes. The several shawls draped around her shoulders were trailing to the ground as her bony arms gripped her head. Before I could process the vision before me, she began to speak. I stood rooted at the door, listening, while I could feel Malfoy dashing up the stairs, trying to find where I was, still paying close attention to Trelawney's words.

'_Tonight will be the night.'_ Her tone was harsh, her eyes unseeing of their surroundings. '_Tonight will be the night the followers shall revive their concealed master. Tonight shall be the night that he shall return to full power, shall inaugurate a new and horrifying era of terror, and only two shall be our saviours. Only two shall be our saviours, yet tonight they will be incapable of rescue. By the power of his last, unacknowledged Horcrux, tonight will be the night the Dark Lord shall return once more…_' Her head dropped forwards with a thud on to the wooden desk; with a jerk, she sat up straight, and said 'Dear me, I must've been tired after all those exams. Well, well…'

_The Dark lord will rise again. Tonight, his followers will return._ Malfoy was processing her words as he stood at the doorway next to me. I couldn't look at him; I couldn't look away from Trelawney. She had no idea that she'd been in a trance. Then had it been a true trance? Was it a real prediction? I shuddered as I realized the implications of the prediction if it were true.

_Come on, _Malfoy urged, pulling me away from the doorway where I stood frozen, and I felt my feet tripping along behind Malfoy. _We have to tell McGonagall._

As we reached the stone gargoyle and stepped on to the escalator, my mind began to clear. What would McGonagall do? What _could_ any of us do? She'd said that none of us, not even the saviours would be able to prevent _it_ from happening- I didn't want to think what. I couldn't understand how it was possible- Voldemort? Back to power?

I felt Malfoy flinch mentally as I thought of Voldemort's name. _See? This is why we fear him. He wasn't gone._

_Your saying you foresaw his return?_ Even in my terror, I had the nerve to snort at his words. He was saved from answering because the door in front of us swung open. Professor seemed astounded by our appearance at her office.

'What is this? Potter, Malfoy, what do you require?'

Malfoy and I glanced at each other, trying to put it into words. I went ahead. 'Professor, I was passing by the fourth floor when I suddenly met professor Trelawney inside a classroom.'

Professor McGonagall gave a sardonic smile and I stopped, perplexed. At her nod, I carried on. 'Well, she seemed rather…different from what I'd ever seen before. She…she was speaking in a rough, harsh voice, her eyes were unfocused, and…she made a prediction.' I stopped. I didn't want to continue. My eyes flickered to the large portrait behind her seat: it was empty once again, as was the smaller one by its side.

Malfoy took over and told the Professor, word-for-word, what the prediction had been. I watched McGonagall as a look of confusion changed into horror, replaced by panic. 'You think this is a true prediction?'

'We're sure,' Malfoy and I affirmed in unison. 'She didn't remember it after she woke up.' I added.

McGonagall nodded, thoughtful. 'Well, I've never been the biggest fan of all this prophetic nonsense, but Sybil… it seems rather serious. It seems nothing can be done to prevent this from occurring. However, the Ministry will have to be warned. Kingsley will have to take necessary precautions.' She sighed. 'It seems that we shall be facing conditions we haven't had to deal with in almost two decades. You two may now leave.' Malfoy and I glanced at one another, wondering whether or not to bring up the original reason we'd been coming to the headmistress' office. 'Unless there's something else you'd like to speak about?' she inquired.

'Well, Professor, there is,' I said. 'You see, Professor Longbottom said that you'd requested that Malfoy and I should be put together in patrol duty. We'd like to know why.'

McGonagall cast a weary eye over us. 'Yes, there are reasons I requested that; reasons that I- that shall be disclosed over time, when things are more…developed, I do believe.' She cast a glance at the empty portrait behind her as she stood up.

'We've also been receiving messages over the past few years, anonymous notes warning us of danger. Do you know who's been sending those?' I asked.

'Yes,' she answered tersely. 'I do.'

'Who?'

'Again, I shall tell you when things are more developed.'

'What do you mean when you say developed?' Malfoy asked.

'My meaning will be clear as time passes. At this moment, I do not have time to explain anything. I have to communicate with the Minister, convey this alarming information you have just given me.' McGonagall turned away from us, a clear dismissal.

'You can't do that,' Malfoy declared coldly.

McGonagall looked up again, incredulous. 'Excuse me?'

'You cannot just tell us to wait. We have been in suspense for years, and we want to know- now.' I marvelled at the cold commanding tone in which Malfoy spoke, but at the same time cautioned him: _McGonagall's our Headmistress! Don't be rude or disrespectful_.

_What the hell do you mean, disrespectful? It's our right to know! And she isn't telling us! She _has _to!_

_But now's not the time. There're bigger things to worry about. Let's go._ I tugged at his arm and after holding firm for a moment, he gave in to the pressure. Just as we turned away, McGonagall spoke up again.

'I trust that neither of you have told anyone else about the messages?'

Malfoy and I shook our heads without looking back at her. 'No,' I said and we walked out of the room, Malfoy slamming the door behind us.

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**I know it's not much, but trust me, it's important, if a bit random. So review and temme whatcha think! =D**


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